IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIV/IH 
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12  3 


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Shepherd's  Iblbs. 


A    NAERATIVE 


OP   THE 


Voyages  Round  the  World 


PKRFORMED   BV 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  COOK. 


WITH    AN 


H--;;^.^**"   '*. 


ACCOUNT  OF  HIS  LIFE  DURING  THE  PREVIOUS  AND 
INTERVENING  PERIODS. 


BY 
A.  KIPPIS,  D.D.,  F.R.S.,  and  S.A. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PORTER    &    COATES. 


c 


M. 


V:? 


n 


Uo 


c. 


606 


PREFACE. 


-«► 


ALTHOUGH  I  have  often  appeared  before  the  public  as  a  writer,  I 
never  did  it  with  so  much  diffidence  and  anxiety  as  on  the  present 
occasion.  This  arises  from  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  woik  in  which 
I  have  now  ongaged.  A  Narrative  of  the  Life  and  Actions  of  Cap- 
tain Cook  must  principally  consist  of  the  voyages  and  discoveries  he 
has  made,  and  the  difficulties  and  dangers  to  which  he  was  exposed. 
The  private  incidents  concerning  him,  though  collected  with  the 
utmost  diligence,  can  never  compare,  either  in  number  or  importance, 
with  his  public  transactions.  His  public  transactions  are  the  things 
tn«.  luarK  the  man,  that  display  his  mind  and  his  character ;  and  there- 
fore, they  are  grand  objects  to  which  the  attention  of  his  biographer 
must  be  directed.  However,  the  right  conduct  of  this  business  is  a 
point  of  no  small  difficulty  and  embarrassment.  The  question  will 
frequently  arise,  How  far  the  detail  should  be  extended  ?  There  is  e 
danger,  on  the  cne  hand,  of  being  carried  to  an  undue  length,  and  of 
enlarging,  more  than  is  needful,  on  facts  which  may  be  though 
already  sufficiently  known;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  of  giving  such  a 
jejune  account,  and  such  a  slight  enumeration  of  important  events, 
as  shall  disappoint  the  wishes  and  expectations  of  the  reader.  Of 
the  two  extremes,  the  last  seems  to  be  that  which  should  most  be 
avoide-c*  •  for  unless  what  Captain  Cook  perfc  rraed,  and  what  he 
<JcaoxmiereA,  be  i  elated  somewhat  at  largo,  his  Life  and  Actions  would 


\v 


PREFACK. 


'!!^-!%>" 


be  imperfectly  represented  to  the  world.     Tl  a  proper  medinra 
appears  to  be,  to  bring  forward  the  things  in  whicb  he  was  person- 
ally concerned,  and  to  pass  slightly  over  other  matters.    Even  here  it 
is  scarcely  possible,  nor  would  it  be  desirable,  to  avoid  the  introduc- 
tiou  of  some  of  the  most  striking  circumstances  which  relate  to  the 
new  countries  and  inhabitants  that  were  visited  by  our  great  nav- 
igator, since  these  constitnte  a  part  of  the  knowledge  and  benefit 
derived  from  his  undertakings.    Whether  I  have  been  so  happy  as  to 
preserve  the  due  medium,  I  presume  not  to  determine.    I  have  been 
anxious  to  do  it,  without  always  being  able  fully  to  satisfy  my  own 
mind  that  I  have  succeeded ;  on  which  account  I  shall  not  be  sur- 
prised if  different  opinions  should  be  formed  on  the  subject.    In  that 
ease,  all  that  I  can  offer  in  my  own  defence  will  bo,  that  I  have  acted 
to  the  best  of  my  judgment.     At  any  rate,  I  flatter  myself  with 
the  hope  of  having  presented  to  tho  public  a  work  not  wholly  unin- 
teresting or  unentertaining.    Those  who  are  best  acquainted  with 
Captain  Cook's  expeditions,  may  be  pleased  with  reviewing  them  in 
a  more  compendious  form,  and  with  having  his  actions  placed  in  a 
closer  point  of  view,  in  consequence  of  theii*  being  divested  of  the 
minute  nautical,  and  other  details,  which  were  essentially  necessary 
in  the  voyages  at  large.    As  to  those  persons',  if  there  be  any,  who 
have  hitherto  obtained  but  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  what  was 
done  and  discovered  by  this  illustrious  man,  they  will  not  be  offend- 
ed with  the  length  of  the  following  narrative. 

'  In  various  respects,  new  information  will  be  found  in  the  present 
performance;  and  other  things,  which  were  less  perfectly  known 
before,  are  set  in  a  clearer,  and  fuller  light.  This,  I  trust,  will  appear 
in  the  first,  third,  fifth,  and  seventh  chapters.  It  may  be  observed, 
likewise,  that  the  fresh  matter  now  communicated  is  of  the  most 
authentic  kind,  and  deriyed  from  the  most  respectable  soarces.  My 
obligations  of  this  nature  are,  indeed,  very  great,  and  call  for  my 


PREFACE. 


medinm 
\  person- 
m  here  it 
introduc- 
:;e  to  the 
•eat  nav- 
d  benefit 
ippy  as  to 
lave  been 
my  own 
t  be  8ur- 
In  that 
ftve  acted 
self  with 
)lly  uuin- 
ted  with 
;  them  in 
iced  in  a 
id  of  the 
leoessary 
my,  who 
eh  at  was 
e  oflfend- 

present 
known 
11  appear 
bserved, 
he  most 
■jes.  My 
for  my 


% 


warmest  gratitude.  The  dates  and  facts  relative  to  Captain  Cook^i 
different  promotions  are  taken  from  the  books  of  the  Admiralty,  by 
the  direction  of  the  noble  lord  who  is  at  the  head  of  that  Board,  and 
the  favour  of  Mr.  Stephens.  I  embrace  with  pleasure  this  oppor- 
tunity of  mentioning  that,  in  the  course  of  my  life,  I  have  expe- 
rienced,  in  several  instances.  Lord  Howe's  condescending  and  favour- 
able attention.  To  Mr.  Stephens  I  am  indebted  for  other  communi- 
cations besides  those  which  concern  the  times  of  Captain  Cook's 
preferments,  and  for  his  general  readiness  iL  forwarding  the  design  of 
the  present  work.  The  Earl  of  Sandwich,  the  great  patron  of  our 
navigator,  and  the  principal  mover  in  his  mighty  undertakings,  has 
honoured  me  with  some  important  information  concerning  him, 
especially  with  regard  to  the  circumstances  which  preceded  his  last 
voyage.  To  Sir  Hugh  Palliser's  zeal  for  the  memory  of  hir  friend,  1 
stand  particularly  obliged.  From  a  long  communication,  witli  which 
he  was  so  good  as  to  favour  me,  I  have  derived  very  material  intelli- 
gence, as  will  appear  in  the  course  of  the  narrative,  and  especially 
in  the  first  chapter.  In  the  same  chapter  are  some  facts  which  I 
received  from  Admiral  Graves,  through  the  hands  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Douglas,  now  Bishop  of  Carlisle,  (whose  admirable  Introduction  to  the 
Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  must  be  of  the  most  essential  service  to 
every  writer  of  the  Life  of  Captain  Cook.)  The  Captain's  amiable 
and  worthy  Widow,  who  is  held  in  just  esteem  by  all  his  friends,  has 
given  me  an  account  of  several  domestic  circumstances.  •  I  should  be 
deficient  in  gratitude,  were  I  here  to  omit  the  name  of  Mr.  Samwell . 
for,  though  what  is  inserted  from  him  in  this  work  has  already  been 
laid  before  the  public,  it  should  be  remembered,  that  through  the 
interposition  of  our  common  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gregory,  it  was 
originally  written  for  my  use,  and  freely  consigned  to  my  disposal ; 
and  that  it  was  at  my  particular  instance  and  request  that  it  wai 


n 


PKKFACE. 


Bciarately  printed.    M7  obligations  to  other  gentlemen  will  be  men- 
tioned in  their  proper  places. 

Bat  mj  acknowledgments  are,  above  all,  due  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks, 
President  of  the  Royal  Society,  for  the  interest  he  has  taken  in  the 
present  pablication.  It  was  in  oonseqnence  of  his  advice,  that  it  was 
given  to  the  world  in  the  form  which  it  now  bears ;  and  his  assis- 
tance has  been  invariable  through  every  part  of  the  undertaking.  To 
him  the  inspection  of  the  whole  has  been  submitted  ;  and  to  him  it 
18  owing,  that  the  work  is,  in  many  respects,  far  more  complete  than 
it  woild  otherwise  have  been.  The  exertions  of  zeal  and  friendship 
I  have  been  so  happy  as  to  experience  from  him  in  writing  the 
account  of  Captain  Cook,  have  corresponded  with  that  ardour  which 
8'*  Joseph  Banks  is  always  ready  to  display  in  promoting  whatever 
lie  judges  to  be  subservient  to  the  cause  of  science  and  literature. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

rial 

Account  of  Captain  Cook  previous  to  his  First  Voyage  round  the 

World, I 

CHAPTER  II. 

Narrative  of  Captain  Coolt's  First  Voyage  round  the  World,  diirini^ 
the  years  1768,  1769,  1770  and  1771, U 

CHAPTER    III. 

Account  of  Captain  Cook  during  the  period  between  his  First  and 
Second  Voyage, 102 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Narrative  of  Captain  Cook's  Second  Voyage  round  the  World,  during 
the  years  1772,  1773,  1774  and  1776, 168 

CHAPTER  V. 

Account  of  Captain  Cook  during  the  period  between  his  Second  and 
Third  Voyage, 257 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Narrative  of  Captain  Cook's  Third  Voyajije,  to  the  period  of  his  Death, 
during  the  years  1776,  177V,  ^778  and  1779,        .        .        .         .273 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Character  of  Captain  Cook — Effects  of  his  Voyages— Testimonies  of 
Applause— Commemoiations  of  his  Services — Regard  paid  to  his  fa- 
mily— Conclusion,  894 


THE 


AUTHENTIC  AND  COMPLETE  NARRATniil 


oy 


CAPT.  COOK'S  VOYAGES  ROUND  THE  WOULD. 


■♦►■ 


CnAPTER    1. 

ACCOUNT   OF   CAPTAIN   COOK,    PREVIOUS  TO   HIS   FIR3T  VOYAOl 

BOUND  THE    WORIJ). 


Captain  James  Cook  had  no  claims  to  distinction  on  account 
of  the  lustre  of  his  birtli,  or  the  dignity  of  his  ancestors.  His 
father,  James  Cook,  who,  from  his  dialect,  is  supposed  to  have 
been  a  Northumbrian,  was  in  the  humble  station  of  a  servant  in 
husbandry,  and  married  a  woman  of  the  same  rank  with  himself, 
whose  christian  name  was  Grace.  Both  of  them  were  lutfcd  in 
their  neighbourhood  for  their  honesty,  sobriety,  and  diligence. 
They  first  lived  at  a  village  called  Morton,  and  then  removed  to 
Marton,  another  village  in  the  North-riding  of  Yorkshire,  situat- 
ed in  the  high  road  from  Gisborough,  in  Cleveland,  to  Stockton 
upon  Tees,  in  the  county  of  Durham,  at  the  distance  of  six  miles 
from  each  of  these  towns.     At  Marton,  Captain  Cook  was  born, 

on  the  2'Ith  of  October,  1128  ;*  and  agreeably  to  the  custom  of 

» 

*  The  mud  houae  In  which  Captain  Cook  drew  his  first  breath  la  pulled  down,  «nd  n« 
vestiges  of  It  are  now  remHlnlnK. 

I*  9 


10 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK 


the  vicar  of  the  parish,  whose  practice  it  was  to  baptize  infants 
soon  after  their  birth,  he  was  baptized  on  the  3d  of  November  fol- 
lowing. He  was  one  of  nine  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  dead, 
excepting  a  daugiiter,  who  married  a  fisherman  at  Redcar.  The 
first  rudiments  of  young  Cook's  education  were  received  by  him 
at  Marton,  where  he  was  taught  to  read  by  Dame  Walker,  the 
schoolmistress  of  the  village.  When  he  was  eight  years  of  age, 
his  father,  in  consequence  of  the  character  he  had  obtained  for 
industry,  frugality,  and  skill  in  husbandry,  had  a  little  promotion 
bestowed  upon  him,  which  was  that  of  being  appointed  head 
servant  or  hind,*  to  a  farm  belonging  to  the  late  Thomas  Skot- 
tow,  Esq.,  called  Airy  Holme,  near  Great  Ayton.  To  this  place, 
therefore,  he  removed  with  his  family  ;f  and  his  son  James,  at 
Mr.  Skottow's  expense,  was  put  to  a  day-school,  in  Ayton,  where 
he  was  instructed  in  writing,  and  in  a  fsw  of  the  first  rules  of 
arithmetic. 

Before  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  was  bound  an  appren- 
tice to  Mr.  William  Sanderson,  a  haberdasher,  or  shop-keepeer, 
at  Straiths,  a  considerable  fishing  town,  about  ten  miles  north 
of  Whitby.  This  employment,  however,  was  very  unsuitable  to 
young  Cook's  disposition.  The  sea  was  the  object  of  his  inclina- 
tion ;  and  his  passion  for  it  could  not  avoid  being  strengthened 
by  the  situation  of  the  town  in  which  he  was  placed  ;  and  the 
manner  of  life  of  the  persons  with  whom  he  must  frequently  con- 
verse. Some  disagreement  having  happened  between  him  and 
bis  master,  he  obtained  his  discharge,  and  soon  after  bound 
himself  for  seven  years  to  Messrs.  John  and  Henry  Walker,  of 
Whitby,  Quakers  by  religious  profession,  and  principal  owners 
of  the  ship  Free-love,  and  of  another  vessel,  both  of  which  were 
constantly  employed  in  the  coal  trade.   The  greatest  part  of  his  ap- 


*  This  is  the  name  which,  in  that  part  of  the  country,  is  giving  to  the  head  servant,  or 
ballifir  of  a  farm. 

t  Mr.  Cook,  senior,  spent  the  close  of  Ills  life  with  his  daughter,  at  Redcar,  and  is  snp- 
|)0Sttl  to  have  been  about  eighty -five  years  of  age  when  he  died. 


"^i. 


PREVIOUS   TO   HIS    FIRST  VOYAGE. 


11 


prenticeship  was  spent  on  board  the  Free-love.  Afttr  he  was 
out  of  his  time,  he  continued  to  serve  in  the  coal  and  other 
branches  of  trade  (though  chiefly  in  the  former)  in  the  capacity 
of  a  common  sailor,  till  at  length,  he  was  raised  to  be  mate  of 
one  of  Mr.  John  Walker's  ships.  During  this  period  it  is  not 
recollected  that  he  exhibited  anything  very  peculiar,  either  in 
his  abilities  or  his  conduct  ;  though  there  can  be  no  doubt  but 
that  he  had  gained  a  considerable  degree  of  knowledge  in  the 
practical  part  of  navigation,  and  that  his  attentive  and  saga- 
cious mind  was  laying  up  a  store  of  observations,  which  would 
be  useful  to  hira  in  future  life. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  It 55,  when  hostilities  broke  out  be- 
tween England  and  France,  and  there  was  a  hot  press  for  sea- 
men, Mr.  Cook  happened  to  be  in  the  river  Thames  with  the 
ship  to  which  he  belonged.  At  first  he  concealed  himself  to 
avoid  being  pressed  ;  but  reflecting  that  it  might  be  difficult, 
notwithstanding  all  his  vigilance,  to  elude  discovery  or  escape 
pursuit,  he  determined,  upon  further  consideration,  to  enter  volun- 
tarily into  his  majesty's  service,  and  to  take  his  future  fortune 
in  the  royal  navy.  Perhaps  he  had  some  presage  in  his  own 
mind,  that  by  his  activity  and  exertions  he  might  rise  consider- 
ably above  his  present  situation.  Accordingly  he  went  on  to  a 
rendezvous  at  Wapping,  and  entered  with  an  officer  of  the 
Eagle  man  of  war,  a  ship  of  sixty  guns,  at  that  time  command- 
ed by  Captain  Hamer.  To  this  ship  Captain  (afterwards  Sir 
Hugh)  Palliser  was  appointed,  in  the  month  of  October,  1155  ; 
and  when  he  took  the  command,  found  in  her  James  Cook,  whom 
he  soon  distinguished  to  be  an  able,  active,  and  diligent  seaman. 
All  the  officers  spoke  highly  in  his  favor,  and  the  captain  was  so 
well  pleased  with  his  behaviour,  that  he  gave  him  every  encour- 
agement which  lay  in  his  power. 

In  the  course  of  some  time  Captain  Palliser  received  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Osbaldeston,  then  member  of  Parliament  for  Scarbo- 
rough, acquainting  him  that  several  neighbours  of  his  hudsoiicit- 


IF 


12 


ACCOUNT  OF  OAFfAIN   COOK 


ed  hiin  to  write  ia  favour  of  one  Cook,  oq  board  the  captain's  ship 
They  had  heard  that  Captain  Palliser  had  taken  notice  of  him^ 
and  they  requested,  if  he  thought  Cook  deserving  of  it,  that  he 
would  point  out  in  what  manner  Mr.  Osbaldeston  might  best 
contribute  his  assistance  towards  forwarding  the  young  man's 
promotion.  The  captain,  in  his  reply,  did  justice  to  Cook's  merit ; 
but,  as  he  had  been  only  a  short  time  in  the  navy,  informed  Mr. 
Osbaldeston  that  he  could  not  be  promoted  as  a  commission  offi- 
cer.  A  master's  warrant,  Captain  Palliser  added,  might  perhaps 
be  procured  for  Mr.  Cook,  by  which  he  would  be  raised  to  a  sta- 
tion that  he  was  well  qualified  to  discharge  with  ability  and  ere- 
dit. 

Such  a  warrant  he  obtained  on  the  10th  of  May,  1759,  for 
the  Grampus  sloop  ;  but  the  proper  master  having  unexpectedly 
returned  to  her,  the  appointment  did  not  take  place.  Four  days 
after,  he  was  made  master  of  the  Garland  ;  when  upon  inquiry 
it  was  found  that  he  could  not  join  her,  as  the  ship  had  already 
Bailed.  On  the  next  day,  the  15th  of  May,  he  was  appointed  to 
the  Mercury.  These  quick  and  successive  appointments  show 
that  his  interest  was  strong,  and  that  the  intention  to  serve  him 
was  real  and  effectual. 

The  destination  of  the  Mercury  was  to  North  America,  where 
she  joined  the  fleet  under  the  command  of  Sir  Charles  Saunders, 
which,  in  conjunction  with  the  land  forces  under  General  Wolfe, 
was  engaged  in  the  famous  siege  of  Quebec.  During  that  siege 
a  diflficult  and  dangerous  service  was  necessary  to  be  performed. 
This  was  to  take  the  soundings  in  the  channel  of  the  river  St. 
Lawrence,  between  the  island  of  Orleans  and  the  north  shore, 
directly  in  the  front  of  the  French  fortified  camp  at  Montmorency 
and  Beauport,  in  order  to  enable  the  admiral  to  place  ships 
against  the  enemy's  batteries,  and  to  cover  our  army  on  a  gen- 
eral attack,  which  the  heroic  Wolfe  intended  to  make  on  the 
camp.  Captain  Palliser,  in  consequence  of  his  acquaintance 
with  Mr.  Cook's  sagacity  and  resolution,  recommended  him  to 


m 


PREVIOUS   TO   HIS   FIRST   VOYAGE. 


18 


the  service  ;  and  he  performed  it  in  the  most  complete  manner. 
In  this  business  he  was  employed  during  the  night-time  for  seve- 
ral nights  together.  At  length  he  was  discovered  by  the  enemy, 
who  collected  a  great  number  of  Indians  and  canoes,  in  a  wood 
near  the  water-side,  which  were  launched  in  the  night  for  the  pur- 
pose of  surrounding  him,  and  cutting  him  off.  On  this  occa- 
sion he  had  a  very  narrow  escape.  He  was  obliged  to  run  for 
it,  and  pushed  on  shore  on  the  island  of  Orleans,  near  the 
guard  of  the  English  hospital.  Some  of  the  Indians  entered  at 
the  stern  of  the  boat  as  Mr.  Cook  leaped  out  at  the  bow  ;  and 
the  boat,  which  was  a  barge  belonging  to  one  of  the  ships  of 
war,  was  carried  away  in  triumph.  However,  he  furnished  the 
admiral  with  as  correct  and  complete  a  draft  of  the  channel  and 
soundings  as  could  have  been  made  after  our  countrymen  were 
in  possession  of  Quebec.  Sir  Hugh  Palliser  has  good  reason  to 
believe  that  before  this  time  Mr.  Cook  had  scarcely  ever  used  a 
pencil,  and  that  he  knew  nothing  of  drawing.  But  such  was 
his  capacity  that  he  speedily  made  himself  master  of  every  oh* 
ject  to  which  he  applied  his  attention. 

Another  important  service  was  performed  by  Mr.  Cook  while 
the  fleet  continued  in  the  river  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  naviga- 
tion of  that  river  is  exceedingly  diflBcult  and  hazardou:.  It  was 
particularly  so  to  the  English,  who  were  then  in  a  great  measure 
strangers  to  this  part  of  North  America,  and  who  had  no  chart, 
on  the  correctness  of  which  they  could  depend.  It  was,  there- 
fore, ordered  by  the  admiral,  that  Mr.  Cook  should  be  employed 
to  survey  those  parts  of  the  river,  below  Quebec,  which  naviga- 
tors had  experienced  to  be  attended  with  peculiar  difficulty  and 
danger  ;  and  he  executed  the  business  with  the  same  diligence 
and  skill  of  which  he  had  already  afforded  so  happy  a  specimen. 
When  he  had  finished  the  undertaking,  his  chart  of  the  river  St. 
Lawrence  was  published,  with  soundings  and  directions  for  sail 
ing  in  that  river.  Of  the  accuracy  and  utility  of  this  chart,  it 
's  suflBcient  to  say,  that  it  hath  never  since  been  found  necessary 


I  ! 


14 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK 


to  pnblisU  any  other.  One  which  has  appeared  in  France,  ia 
only  a  copy  of  our  author's  on  a  rei^uced  scale. 

After  the  expedition  to  Quebec,  Mr.  Cook,  by  warrant  from 
Lord  Colvill,  was  appointed,  on  the  22d  of  September,  1759, 
master  of  the  Northumberland  man  of  war,  the  ship  in  which  his 
lordship  staid,  in  the  following  winter,  as  commodore,  with  the 
command  of  a  squadron  at  Halifax.  In  this  station  Mr.  Cook's 
behaviour  did  not  fail  to  gain  him  the  esteem  and  friendship  of 
his  commander.  During  the  leisure  which  the  season  of  winter 
afforded  him,  he  employed  his  time  in  the  acquisition  of  suv-h 
knowledge  as  eminently  qualified  him  for  the  future  service.  It 
was  at  Halifax  that  he  first  read  Euclid,  and  applied  himself  to 
the  study  of  astronomy  and  other  branches  of  science.  The 
books  of  which  he  had  the  assistance  were  few  in  number  :  but 
his  industry  enabled  him  to  supply  many  defects,  and  to  make  a 
progress  far  superior  to  what  could  be  expected  from  the  advan- 
tages he  enjoyed. 

While  Mr.  Cook  was  master  of  the  Northumberland  under 
Lord  Colvill,  that  ship  came  to  Newfoundland,  in  September, 
1162,  to  assist  in  the  recapture  of  the  island  from  the  French, 
by  the  forces  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-colonel  Amherst. 
When  the  island  was  recovered,  the  English  fleet  staid  some  days 
at  Placentia,  in  order  to  put  it  in  a  more  complete  state  of 
defence.  During  this  time  Mr.  Cook  manifested  a  diligence  in 
surveying  the  harbor  and  heights  of  the  place,  which  arrested  the 
notice  of  Captain  (now  Admiral)  Graves,  commander  of  the 
Antelope,  and  governor  of  Newfoundland.  The  governor  was 
hence  induced  to  ask  Cook  a  variety  of  questions,  from  the  ans- 
wers to  which  he  was  led  to  entertain  a  very  favourable  opinion 
of  his  abilities.  This  opinion  was  increased,  tlie  more  he  saw 
of  Mr.  Cook's  conduct  ;  who,  wherever  they  went,  continued  to 
display  the  most  unremitting  attention  to  every  object  that 
related  to  the  knowledge  of  the  coast,  and  was  calculated  to 
%cilitate  the  practice  of  navigation.     The  esteem  which  Captain 


PREVIOUS   TO   HI8   FIRST   VOTAGK. 


15 


Graies  had  conceived  for  him,  was  confirmed  by  the  testimonies 
to  his  character,  that  were  given  by  all  the  oflBccrs  under  whom 
he  Berved. 

In  the  latter  end  of  1762,  Mr.  Cook  returned  to  England  ; 
and,  on  21st  of  December,  in  the  same  year,  married,  at  Barking, 
in  Essex,  Miss  Elizabeth  Batts,  an  amiable  and  deserving  v/oman, 
who  was  justly  entitled  to  and  enjoyed  his  tenderest  regard  and 
affection.  But  his  station  in  life,  and  the  high  duties  to  which  he 
was  called,  did  not  permit  him  to  partake  of  matrimonial  felicity, 
without  many  and  very  long  interruptions. 

Early  in  the  year  1163,  after  the  peace  with  France  and  Spain 
was  concluded,  it  was  determined  that  Captain  Graves  should  go 
out  again,  as  governor  of  Newfoundland.  As  the  country  was 
very  valuable  in  a  commercial  view,  and  had  been  an  object  of 
great  contention  between  the  English  and  the  French,  the  cap- 
tain obtained  an  establishment  for  the  survey  of  its  coasts  ; 
which,  however,  he  procured  with  some  difficulty,  because  the 
matter  was  not  sufficiently  understood  by  Government  at  home. 
In  considering  the  execution  of  the  plan,  Mr.  Cook  appeared  to 
Captain  Graves  to  be  a  proper  person  for  the  purpose  ;  and  pro- 
posals were  made  to  him,  to  which,  notwithstanding  his  recent 
marriage,  he  readily  and  prudently  acceded.  Accordingly,  he 
went  out  with  the  captain  as  surveyor  ;  and  was  first  employed 
to  survey  Miquelon  and  St.  Pierre,  which  had  been  ceded  by  the 
treaty  to  the  French  ;  who,  by  order  of  administration,  were  to 
take  possession  of  them  at  a  certain  period,  even  thongh  the 
English  commander  should  not  happen  to  be  arrived  in  the  coui> 
try.  When  Captain  Graves  had  reached  that  part  of  world,  he 
found  there  the  governor,  who  had  been  sent  from  France, 
(Mons.  D'Aujac,)  with  all  the  settlers  and  his  own  family,  on 
board  a  frigate  and  some  transports.  It  was  contrived,  however, 
to  keep  them  in  that  disagreeable  situation  for  a  whole  month, 
which  was  the  time  taken  by  Mr.  Cook  to  complete  his  survey. 
Whgn  the  business  was  finished,  the  French  were  put  into  pos- 


■ 


le 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN   COOK. 


session  of  the  two  islands,  and  left  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of 
them,  with  every  profession  of  civility. 

At  the  end  of  the  season  Mr.  Cook  returned  to  England,  but 
did  not  long  continue  at  home.  In  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1764,  his  old  and  constant  friend  and  patron.  Sir  Hugh  Paliiser, 
was  appointed  governor  and  commodore  of  Newfoundland  and 
Labrador  ;  upon  which  occasion,  he  was  glad  to  take  Mr.  Cook 
with  him,  in  the  same  capacity  that  he  had  sustained  under  Cap* 
tain  Graves.  Indeed,  no  man  could  have  been  found,  who  was 
better  qualified  for  finishing  the  design  which  had  been  begun  in 
the  preceding  year.  The  charts  of  the  coasts,  in  that  part  of 
North  America,  were  very  erroneous  ;  and  it  was  highly  neces- 
sary to  the  trade  and  navigation  of  his  majesty's  subjects,  that 
new  ones  should  be  formed  which  would  be  more  correct  and 
useful.  Accordingly,  under  the  orders  of  Commodore  Paliiser, 
Mr.  Cook  was  appointed  on  the  18th  of  April,  1764,  marine  sur- 
veyor of  Newfoundland  and  Labrador  ;  and  he  had  a  vessel,  the 
Grenville  schooner,  to  attend  him  for  that  purpose.  How  well 
he  executed  his  commission,  is  know  to  every  man  acquainted  with 
navigation.  The  charts,  which  he  afterwards  published  of  the 
different  surveys  he  had  made,  reflected  great  credit  on  his  abili- 
ties and  character,  and  the  utility  of  them  is  universally  acknow- 
ledged. It  is  understood,  that,  so  far  as  Newfoundland  is 
concerned,  they  were  of  considerable  service  to  the  king's  ministers 
in  settling  the  terms  of  the  last  peace.  Mr.  Cook  explored  the 
inland  parts  of  this  island  in  a  much  completer  manner  than  had 
ever  been  done  before.  By  penetrating  further  into  the  middle 
of  the  country  than  any  man  had  hitherto  attempted,  he  discov- 
ered several  large  lakes,  which  are  indicated  upon  the  general 
chart.  In  these  services,  Mr.  Cook  appears  to  have  been 
employed,  with  the  intervals  of  occasionally  returning  to  Eng- 
land for  the  winter  season,  till  the  year  1767,  which  was  the  last 
time  that  he  went  out  upon  his  station  of  marine  surveyor  of 
Newfoundland.     It  must  not  be  omitted,  that  while  he  occupied 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8    FIRST    VOYAGE. 


17 


this  post,  he  had  an  opportunity  of  exliibiting  to  the  Royal  Soci- 
ety a  proof  of  his  progress  in  the  study  of  astronomy.  A  short 
paper  was  written  by  him,  and  inserted  in  the  fifty-seventh  vol- 
ume of  the  Philosophical  Tratisactions,  entitled,  "  An  Observation 
of  an  Eclipse  of  the  Sun  at  the  Island  of  Newfoundland,  August  5, 
1766,  with  the  Longitude  of  the  Place  of  Observation  deduci  d 
from  it."  The  observation  was  made  at  one  of  the  Burgeo 
Islands,  near  Cape  Ray,  in  latitude  47°  36'  19",  on  the  south- 
west extremity  of  Newfoundland,  Mr.  Cook's  paper  having  been 
communicated  by  Dr.  Bevis  to  Mr.  Witchell,  the  latter  gentle- 
man compared  it  with  an  observation  at  Oxford,  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Ilornsby,  on  the  same  eclipse,  and  thence  computed  the  diflference 
of  longitude  respecting  the  places  of  observation,  making  due 
allowance  for  the  effect  of  parallax,  and  the  prolate  sphtroldal 
figure  of  the  earth.  It  appears  from  the  Transactions,  that  our 
navigator  had  already  obtained  the  character  of  being  an  able 
mathematician. 


CHAPTER   II. 

NARRATIVE   OF   CAPTAIN    COOK's    FIRST   VOYAGE    AROUND    THl 

WORLD. 

There  is  scarcely  anything  from  which  the  natural  curiositj 
of  man  receives  a  higher  gratification,  than  from  the  accounts  of 
distant  countries  and  nations.  Nor  is  it  curiosity  alone  that  is 
gratified  by  such  accounts  ;  for  the  sphere  of  human  knowlege  is 
hereby  enlarged,  and  various  objects  are  brought  into  view,  an 
acquaintance  with  which  greatly  contributes  to  the  improvement 
of  life  and  the  benefit  of  the  world.  With  regard  to  information 
rf  this  kind,  the  moderns  have  eminently  the  advantage  over  the 


'■  -»^().''iE!^'*- 


18 


CAPTAIN    OOOK'B 


ancients.  The  ancients  could  neither  pursue  their  inquiries  with 
the  same  accuracy,  nor  carry  them  on  to  the  same  extent.  Trav- 
elling by  land  was  raiich  more  inconvenient  and  dangerous  than 
it  hath  been  in  later  times  ;  and,  as  navigation  was  principally 
confined  to  coasting,  it  must  necessarily  have  been  circumscribed 
within  very  narrow  limits. 

The  invention  of  the  compass,  seconded  by  the  ardent  and 
enterprising  spirit  of  several  able  men,  was  followed  by  wonder- 
ful discoveries.  Vasco  di  Gamo  doubled  the  cape  of  Good  Hope  ; 
and  a  new  way  being  thus  found  out  to  the  East  Indies,  the 
countries  in  that  part  of  the  earth  became  more  accurately  and 
extensively  known.  Another  world  w.  s  discovered  by  Colum- 
bus ;  and,  at  length,  Magalhaens  accomplished  the  arduous  and 
hitherto  unattempted  task  of  sailing  round  the  globe.  At 
different  periods,  he  was  succeeded  by  other  circumnavigators, 
of  whom  it  is  no  part  of  the  present  narrative  to  give  an 
account. 

The  spirit  of  discovery,  which  was  so  vigorous  during  the 
latter  end  of  the  fifteenth,  and  through  the  whole  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  began,  soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  to  decline.  Great  navigations  were  only  occasionally 
undertaken,  and  more  from  the  immediate  views  of  avarice  or 
war,  than  from  any  noble  and  generous  principles.  But  of  late 
years  they  have  been  revived,  with  the  enlarged  and  benevolent 
design  of  promoting  the  happiness  of  the  human  species. 

A  beginning  of  this  kind  was  made  in  the  reign  of  George  the 
Second,  during  which  two  voyages  were  performed  ;  the  first 
under  the  command  of  Captaiti  Middleton,  and  the  next  under 
the  direction  of  Captains  Smith  and  More,  in  order  to  discover  a 
north-west  passage,  through  Hudson's  Bay.  It  was  reserved, 
however,  for  the  glory  of  the  present  reign  to  carry  the  spirit  of 
discovery  to  its  height,  and  to  conduct  it  on  the  noblest  princi- 
ples ;  not  for  the  purpose  of  covetousness  or  ambition  ;  nor  to 
plunder  or  destroy  the  inhabitants  of  newly-explored  countries  ; 


FIRST   VOYAOR. 


If 


but  to  improve  their  condition,  to  instruct  them  in  the  arts  of 
life,  and  to  extend  the  boundaries  of  science. 

No  sooner  was  peace  restored  in  1763,  than  these  laudable 
designs  engaged  his  majesty's  patronage  ;  and  two  voyages 
round  the  world  had  been  undertaken,  before  Mr.  Cook  set  out 
on  his  first  command.  The  conductors  of  these  voyages  were 
the  Captains  Byron,  Wallis,  and  Garten  t,*  by  whom  several  dis- 
coveries were  made,  which  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to 
increase  the  kno  .ledge  of  geography  and  navigation.  Never- 
theless, as  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  sent  out  appears  to 
have  had  a  principal  reference  to  a  particular  object  in  the  South 
Atlantic,  the  direct  track  they  were  obliged  to  hold,  on  their 
way  homeward  by  the  East  Indies,  prevented  them  from  doing 
60  much  as  might  otherwise  have  been  expected  towards  giving 
the  world  a  complete  view  of  that  immense  expanse  of  ocean 
which  the  South  Pacific  comprehends. 

Before  Captain  Wallis  and  Captain  Carteret  had  returned  to 
Great  Britain,  another  voyage  was  resolved  upon,  for  which  the 
improvement  of  astronomical  science  afforded  the  immediate 
occasion.  It  having  been  calculated  by  astronomers,  that  a 
transit  of  Venus  over  the  Sun's  disk  would  happen  in  1769,  it 
was  judged,  that  the  best  place  for  observing  it  would  be  in  some 
part  of  the  South  Sea,  .either  at  the  Marquesas,  or  at  one  of 
those  islands  which  Tasman  had  called  Amsterdam,  Rotterdam, 
and  Middleburg,  and  which  are  now  better  known  under  the 
appellation  of  the  Friendly  Islands.  This  being  a  matter  of 
eminent  consequence  in  astronomy,  and  which  excited  the  atten- 
tion of  foreign  nations  as  well  as  of  our  own,  the  affair  was  taken 
up  by  the  Royal  Society,  with  the  zeal  which  has  always  been 
displayed  by  that  learned  body  for  the  advancement  of  every 


i  countries 


•  The  Captains  WaUis  and  Carteret  went  out  together  upon  the  same  expedition ;  but 
the  vessels  they  commanded  having  actually  parted  company,  they  proceeded  and  r««- 
l-vmed  by  a  different  route.  Hence  their  voyages  are  distinctly  related  by  Dr.  Uawkes- 
worth. 


20 


OAl'TAIN   OOOR  8 


branch  of  philosophical  scionce.  Accordinj^ly,  ft  long  rncmorial 
was  addressed  to  his  majesty,  dated  Fe))ruarv  the  loth,  1708, 
representing  the  great  importance  of  the  object,  together  with 
the  regard  which  had  been  paid  to  it  by  the  principal  courts  of 
Europe  ;  and  entreating,  among  other  things,  that  a  vessel  might 
be  ordered,  at  the  expense  of  government,  for  the  conveyance  of 
suitable  persons,  to  make  the  observation  of  the"  transit  of  Venus, 
at  one  of  the  places  before  mentioned.  This  memorial  having 
been  laid  before  the  king  by  the  Earl  of  Shelburne,  (now  the 
Marquis  of  Lansdown),  one  of  the  principal  secretaries  of  state, 
his  majesty  graciously  signified  his  pleasure  to  the  lords  commis- 
sioners of  the  Admiralty,  that  they  should  provide  a  ship  for  car- 
rying over  such  observers  as  the  Royal  Society  should  judge 
proper  to  send  to  the  South  Seas,  and,  on  the  3d  of  April,  Mr. 
Stephens  informed  the  society  that  a  bark  had  been  taken  up 
for  the  purpose. 

The  gentleman  who  had  originally  been  fixed  upon  to  take  the 
direction  of  the  expedition,  was  Alexander  Dalrymple,  Esq.,  an 
eminent  member  of  the  Royal  Society,  and  who,  besides  possess- 
ing an  accurate  knowledge  of  astronomy,  had  distinguished  him- 
self by  his  inquiries  into  the  geography  of  the  Southern  Oceans, 
and  by  the  collections  he  had  published  of  several  voyages  to 
those  parts  of  the  world.  Mr.  Dalrymple  being  sensible  of  the 
dtflBculty,  or  rather  of  the  impossibility,  of  carrying  a  ship 
through  unknown  seas,  the  crew  of  which  were  not  subject  to 
the  military  discipline  of  his  majesty's  navy,  he  made  it  the  con- 
dition of  his  going,  that  he  should  have  a  brevet  commission  as 
captain  of  the  vessel,  in  the  same  manner  as  such  a  commission 
had  been  granted  to  Dr.  Halley,  in  his  voyage  of  discovery.  To 
this  demand,  Sir  Edward  Hawke,  who  was  then  at  the  head  of 
the  Admiralty,  and  who  possessed  more  of  the  spirit  of  his  pro- 
fession than  either  of  education  or  science,  absolutely  refused  to 
accede.  He  said  at  the  board,  that  his  conscience  would  not 
allow  him  to  trust  any  ship  of  his  majesty's  to  a  person  who  had 


FIU8T    VOYAGE. 


91 


not  regularly  been  bred  a  seaman.  On  being  further  jrressed 
U|)()U  the  subject,  Sir  Edward  declared,  that  he  wuuld  suffer  his 
right  hand  to  be  cut  off  before  lie  would  sign  any  such  coiumis- 
8ion.  In  this  he  was,  iu  some  degree,  justitied  by  the  mutinous 
behaviour  of  Halley's  crew,  who  refused  to  acknowledge  the  legal 
authority  of  their  commander,  and  involved  him  in  a  dispute 
which  was  attended  with  pernicious  consequences.  Dr.  Dal- 
rymple,  on  the  other  hand,  was  equally  steady  in  requiring  a 
compliance,  with  the  terms  he  had  proposed.  Such  was  the 
state  of  things  when  Mr.  Stephens,  secretary  to  the  Admiralty, 
whose  discriminat,ion  of  the  numerous  characters  with  which  by 
his  station  he  is  conversant,  reflects  as  much  credit  on  his  under- 
standing, as  his  upright  and  able  conduct  does  on  the  office  he 
has  QUed  for  so  many  years,  and  under  so  many  administrations, 
with  honour  to  himself  and  advantage  to  the  public,  observed  to 
the  board,  that  since  Sir  Edward  llawke,  and  Mr.  Dalrymple 
were  equally  inflexible,  no  method  remained  but  that  of  finding 
out  another  person  capable  of  the  service,  lie  knew,  he  said,  a 
Mr.  Cook,  who  had  been  employed  as  marine  surveyor  of  New- 
foundland, who  had  been  regularly  educated  in  the  navy,  in 
which  he  was  a  master,  and  whom  he  judged  to  be  fully  qualified 
for  the  direction  of  the  present  undertaking.  Mr.  Stephens,  at 
the  same  time,  recommended  it  to  the  board,  to  take  the  opinion 
of  Sir  Hugh  Palliser,  who  had  lately  been  governor  of  New- 
foundland, and  was  intimately  acquainted  with  Cook's  character. 
Sir  Hugh  rejoiced  in  the  opportunity  of  serving  his  friend.  He 
strengthened  Mr.  Stephens's  recommendation  to  the  utmost  of 
his  power  ;  and  added  many  things  in  Mr.  Cook's  favor,  arising 
from  the  particular  knowledge  which  he  had  of  his  abilities  and 
merit.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Cook  was  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  expedition  by  the  lords  of  the  Admiralty  ;  and,  on  this 
occasion,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  a  lieutenant  in  the 
royal  navy  ;  his  commission  bearing  date  on  the  25th  of  May, 
1768. 


/, 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 

When  the  appointment  had  taken  place,  the  first  object  wan 
to  provide  a  vessel  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  the  voyage.  This 
business  was  committed  to  Sir  Hugh  Pulliscr  ;  who  took  Lieu- 
tenant Cook  to  his  assistance,  and  they  examined  together  a 
great  number  of  the  ships,  which  then  lay  in  the  river  Tliames. 
At  length  they  fixed  upon  one  of  three  hundred  and  seventy 
tons,  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  the  Endeavour. 

While  preparations  were  making  for  Lieutenant  Cook's  expedi- 
tion, Captain  Wallis  returned  from  his  voyage  round  the  world. 
The  Earl  of  Morton,  president  of  the  Royal  Society,  had  recom- 
mended it  to  this  gentleman,  on  his  going  out,  to  fix  upon  a 
proper  place  for  observing  the  transit  of  Venus.  lie  kept, 
accordingly,  the  object  in  view  ;  and  having  discovered,  in  the 
course  of  his  enterprise,  an  island  called  by  him  George's  Island, 
but  which  hath  since  been  found  to  bear  the  name  of  Otaheite, 
he  judged  that  Port  Royal  harbour  in  this,  island,  would  afford 
an  eligible  situation  for  the  purpose.  Having,  immediately  on 
his  return  to  England,  signified  his  opinion  to  the  Earl  of  Mor- 
ton, the  captain's  idea  was  adopted  by  the  society,  and  an  answer 
conformable  to  it  was  sent  to  the  commissioners  of  the  Admir- 
alty, who  had  applied  for  directions  to  what  place  the  observers 
should  be  sent. 

Mr.  Charles  Green,  a  gentleman  who  had  long  been  assistant 
to  Dr.  Bradley  at  the  royal  observatory  at  Greenwich,  was  united 
with  Lieutenant  Cook  in  conducting  the  astronomical  part  of 
the  voyage  :  and,  soon  after  their  appointment,  they  received 
ample  instructions,  from  the  council  of  the  Royal  Society,  with 
regard  to  the  method  of  carrying  on  their  inquiries.  The  lieu- 
tenant was  also  accompanied  by  Joseph  Banks,  Esq.,  (now  Sir 
Joseph  Banks,  Bart.)  and  Dr.  Solander,  who,  in  the  prime  of 
life,  and  the  first  of  them  at  great  expense  to  himself,  quitted  all 
the  gratifications  of  polished  society,  and  engaged  in  a  very 
tedious,  fatiguing,  and  hazardous  navigation,  with  the  laudable 
views  of  acquiring  knowledge  in  general,  of  promoting  natural 


kii 
ill! 


FIRST   VOYA(}K. 


it  object  was 
jyagc.     This 

0  took  Lieu- 

1  together  a 
ver  Thames, 
and  seveuty 
r. 

ook's  expedi- 
d  the  world. 
,  had  recom- 
)  fix  upon  a 
I.  lie  kept, 
eered,  in  the 
rgc's  Island, 
of  Otaheite, 
vould  afford 
neditttoly  on 
larl  of  Mor- 
d  an  answer 
tlie  Admir- 
le  observers 

m  assistant 

was  united 

cal  part  of 

ej  received 

)ciety,  with 

The  lieu- 

,  (now  Sir 

B  prime  of 

quitted  all 

in   a  very 

e  laudable 

ng  natural 


knowledge  in  porticular,  and  of  contributing  something  to  the 
improvement  and  tiic  happiness  of  the  rude  i.ihabitants  of  tho 
earth. 

Though  it  was  the  principal,  it  was  not  the  solo  object  of  Lieu- 
tenant Cook's  voyage,  to  observe  tiio  transit  of  Venus.  A  more 
accurate  examination  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  was  committed  to 
him,  although  in  subserviency  to  his  main  design  ;  and,  when  his 
chief  business  was  aceomplishod,  he  was  directed  to  proceed  in 
making  further  discoveries  in  the  great  Southern  Seas. 

The  complement  of  Lieutenant  Cook's  ship  consisted  of  eighty- 
four  persons,  besides  the  commander.  Her  victualling  was  for 
eighteen  months  ;  and  there  were  put  on  board  ot  her,  tea  carri- 
age and  ten  swivel  guns,  together  with  an  ample  store  of  ammu- 
nition and  other  necessaries. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1768,  Lieutenant  Cook  was  appointed 
by  the  lords  of  the  Admiralty  to  the  command  of  the  Endeavour, 
in  consequence  of  which  he  went  on  board  on  the  2tth,  and  took 
charge  of  the  ship.  She  then  lay  in  the  basin  in  Deptford-yard, 
where  she  continued  to  lie  till  she  was  completely  fitted  for  sea. 
On  the  30th  of  July  she  sailed  down  the  river,  and  on  the  13th 
of  August  anchored  in  Plymouth  Sound.  The  wind  becoming 
fair  on  the  26th  of  that  month,  our  navigators  got  under  sail, 
and  on  the  13th  of  September  anchored  in  Funchal  Road,  in 
the  Island  of  Madeira. 

While  Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  company  were  in  this  island, 
they  were  treated  with  the  utmost  kindness  and  liberality  by 
Mr.  Cheap,  the  English  consul  there,  and  one  of  the  most  con- 
siderable merchants  in  the  town  of  Funchal.  He  insisted  upon 
their  taking  possession  of  his  house,  and  furnished  them  with 
every  possible  accommodation  during  their  stay  at  Madeira 
They  received,  likewise,  great  marks  pf  attention  and  civility 
from  Dr.  Thomas  Heberden,  the  principal  physician  of  the  island, 
and  brother  to  the  excellent  and  learned  Dr.  William  Heberden, 
of  London.     Dr.  Thomas  Heberden  afforded  all  the  assistance  in 


24 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


mil-  K 


;i 


m  i> 


liis  power  to  Mr.  Bauks  and  Dr.  Solander,  in  their  botanical  in- 
quiries. 

It  was  not  solely  from  the  English  that  the  lieutenant  and  his 
friends  experienced  a  kind  reception.  The  fathers  of  the  Fran- 
ciscan convent  displayed  a  liberality  of  sentiment  towards  them 
which  might  not  have  been  expected  from  Portuguese  friars  ; 
and,  in  a  visit  which  they  paid  to  a  convent  of  nuns,  the  ladies 
expressed  a  particular  pleasure  in  seeing  them.  At  this  visit 
the  good  nuns  ^^ave  an  amusing  proof  of  the  progress  they  had 
made  in  the  cultivation  of  their  understandings.  Having  heard 
that  there  were  great  philosophers  among  the  English  gentlemen, 
they  asked  them  a  variety  of  questions  ;  one  of  which  was,  when 
it  would  thunder  ;  and  another,  whether  a  spring  of  fresh  water, 
which  was  much  wanted,  was  any  where  to  be  found  within  the 
walls  of  the  convent.  Eminent  as  our  philosophers  were,  they 
were  puzzled  by  these  questions. 

Lieutenant  Cook,  having  laid  in  a  fresh  stock  of  beef,  water, 
and  wine,  set  sail  from  the  island  of  Madeira,  in  the  night  of  the 
18th  of  September,  and  proceeded  on  his  voyage.  By  the  tth 
of  November,  several  ar*'cles  of  the  ship's  provisions  began  to 
fall  short ;  for  which  reason,  the  lieutenant  determined  to  pnt 
into  Rio  de  Janeiro.  TLls  place  he  preferred  to  any  other  port 
in  Brazil  or  to  Falkland's  Islands,  because  he  could  there  bo 
better  supplied  with  what  he  wanted,  and  had  no  doubt  of  meet- 
ing with  a  friendly  reception 

During  the  run  between  Madeira  and  Rio  Janeiro,  Lieutenant 
Cook  and  the  gentlemen  in  the  Endeavour,  had  an  opportunity 
of  determining  a  philosophical  question.  On  the  evening  of  the 
U9th  of  October,  they  observed  that  luminous  appearance  of 
the  8»a  which  hath  so  often  been  mentioned  by  navigators, 
and  which  has  been  ascribed  to  such  a  variety  of  causes. 
Flashes  of  light  appeared  to  be  emitted,  exactly  resembling  those 
pf  lightning,  though  without  being  so  considerable,  and  such  was 
tiie  frequency  of  them,  that  sometimes  eight  or  ten  were  visible 


!'l 


\U 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


25 


almost  at  the  same  moment.  It  was  the  opinion  of  \fr.  Cook 
anil  the  other  gentlemen,  that  these  flashes  proceeded  from  some 
luminous  animal  ;  and  their  opinion  was  confirmed  by  eAperi- 
ment. 

At  Rio  de  Janeiro,  in  the  port  of  which  Lieutenant  Cook 
came  to  an  anchor  on  the  13th  of  November,  he  did  not  meet, 
with  the  polite  reception  that,  perhaps,  he  had  too  sanguinely 
expected.  His  stay  was  spent  in  .continual  altercations  with  the 
viceroy,  who  a})peared  not  a  little  jealous  of  the  designs  of  the 
English  :  nor  were  all  the  attempts  of  the  lieutenant,  to  set  the 
matter  right,  capable  of  producing  any  effect.  The  viceroy  wad 
by  no  means  distinguished  either  by  his  knowledge  or  his  love  of 
science  ;  and  the  grand  object  of  Mr.  Cook's  expedition  was 
quite  beyond  his  comprehension.  When  he  was  told,  that  the 
English  were  bound  to  the  southward,  by  the  order  of  his  Britan- 
nic majesty,  to  observe  a  transit  of  the  planet  Venus  over  the 
Sun,  an  astronomical  phenomenon  of  great  importance  to  navi- 
gation, he  could  form  no  other  conception  of  the  matter,  than 
that  it  was  the  passing  of  the  North  Star  through  tho  South 
Pole. 

During  the  whole  of  the  contest  with  the  viceroy.  Lieutenant 
Cook  behaved  with  equal  spirit  and  discretion.  A  supply  of 
water  and  other  necessaries  could  not  be  refused  liini,  and  these 
were  gotten  on  board  by  the  1st  of  December.  On  that  day  the 
lieutenant  sent  to  the  viceroy  for  a  pilot  to  carry  the  Endeavour 
to  sea  ;  but  the  wind  preventing  the  ship  from  getting  out,  she 
was  obliged  to  continue  some  time  longer  in  the  harbour.  A 
Spanish  packet  having  arrived  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  on  the  2d  of 
December,  with  despatches  from  Buenos  Ayres  for  Spain,  the 
commander,  Don  Autonia  de  Monte  Negro  y  Vakisco,  offered, 
with  great  politeness,  to  convey  the  letters  of  the  English  to 
Europe.  This  favour  Lieutenant  Cook  accepted,  and  gave  Don 
Antonia  a  packet  for  the  secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  containing 
copies  of  all  tho  papers  that  had  passed  between  himself  and  the 

9 


fi 


¥ 


f 


m 


26 


CAPTAIN   (X)Oi:  S 


r 
I 


,i 


viceroy.  He  left,  also,  duplicates  witli  th'  viceroy,  that  he 
might  foi  ward  them,  if  he  thought  proper,  to  Lisbon. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  it  being  a  dead  calm,  our  navigators 
weighed  anchor,  and  tewed  down  the  Bay  ;  but,  to  their  great 
astonishment,  two  shots  were  fired  at  them  w^hen  they  had 
gotten  abreast  of  Santa  Cruz,  the  principal  fortification  of  the 
harbour.  Lieutenant  Cook  immediately  cast  anchor,  and  sent 
to  the  fort  to  demand  the  reason  of  this  conduct ;  the  answer  to 
which  was,  that  the  commandant  had  received  no  order  from 
the  viceroy  to  let  the  ship  pass  ;  and  that,  without  such  an 
order,  no  vessel  was  ever  suflfered  to  go  below  the  fort.  It  now 
became  necessary  to  send  to  the  viceroy,  to  inquire  why  the 
order  had  not  been  given  ;  and  his  behaviour  appeared  the  more 
extraordinary,  as  notice  had  been  transmitted  to  him  of  the 
departure  of  the  English,  and  he  had  thought  proper  to  write  a 
polite  letter  to  Mr.  Cook,  wishing  him  a  good  voyage.  The 
lieutenant's  messenger  soon  returned  with  the  information  that 
the  order  had  been  written  several  days,  and  that  its  not  having 
been  sent  had  arisen  from  some  unaccountable  negligence.  It 
was  not  till  the  1th  of  December  that  the  Endeavour  got  under 
sail. 

In  the  account  which  Lieutenant  Cook  has  given  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  and  the  country  round  it,  one  circumstance  is  recorded, 
which  cannot  be  otherwise  than  very  painful  to  humanity.  It  is 
the  horrid  expense  of  life  at  which  the  gold  mines  are  wrought. 
No  less  than  forty  thousand  negroes  are  annually  imported  for 
this  purpose,  on  the  king  of  Portugal's  account ;  and  the  English 
were  credibly  informed,  that,  in  the  year  1766,  this  number  fell 
BO  short,  that  twenty  thousand  more  were  drafted  from  the 
town  of  Rio. 

From  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Lieutenant  Cook  pursued  his  voyage, 
and,  on  the  14th  of  January,  1169,  entered  the  Strait  of  Le 
Maire,  at  which  time  the  tide  drove  the  ship  out  with  so  much 
violence,  and  raised   such  a  sea  off  Cape   St.  Diego,  that  she 


^ 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


27 


■     >:?,» 


frequently  pitched  so  that  the  bowsprit  was  under  water.  On 
the  next  day  the  lieutenant  anchored  ;  first  before  a  small  cove, 
which  was  understood  to  be  Port  Maurice,  and  afterwards  in 
the  Bay  of  Good  Success.  While  the  Endeavour  was  in  this 
station,  happened  the  memorable  adventure  of  Mr,  Banks, 
Dr.  Solander,  Mr.  Monkhouse  the  surgeon,  and  Mr.  Green  the 
astronomer,  together  with  their  attendants  and  servants,  and  two 
seamen,  in  ascending  a  mountain  to  search  for  plants.  In  this 
expedition,  they  were  all  of  them  exposed  to  the  utmost  extrem- 
ity of  danger  and  cold  ;  Dr.  Solander  was  seized  with  a  torpor 
which  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to  his  life  ;  and  two  black  ser- 
vants actually  died.  When  the  gentlemen  had,  at  length,  on 
the  second  day  of  their  adventure,  gotten  back  to  the  ship,  they 
congratulated  each  other  on  their  safety,  with  a  joy  that  can 
only  be  felt  by  those  who  have  experienced  equal  perils  ;  and 
Mr.  Cook  was  relieved  from  a  very  painful  anxiety.  It  was  a 
dreadful  testimony  of  the  severity  of  the  climate,  that  this  event 
took  place  when  it  was  the  midst  of  summer  in  that  part  of  the 
world,  and  at  the  close  of  a  day,  the  beginning  of  which  was  as 
mild  and  warm  as  the  month  of  May  usually  is  in  England. 

In  the  passage  through  the  Strait  of  Le  Maire,  Lieutenant 
Cook  and  his  ingenious  associates  had  an  opportunity  of  gaining 
a  considerable  degree  of  acquaintance  with  the  inhabitants  of 
the  adjoining  country.  Here  it  was  that  they  saw  human  nature 
in  its  lowest  form.  The  natives  appeared  to  be  the  most  desti- 
tute and  forlorn,  as  well  as  the  most  stupid,  of  the  children  of 
men.  Their  lives  are  spent  in  wandering  about  the  dreary 
wastes  that  surround  them  ;  and  their  dwellings  are  no  other 
than  wretched  hovels  of  sticks  and  grass,  which  not  only  admit 
the  wind,  but  the  snow  and  the  rain.  They  are  almost  naked  ; 
and  so  devoid  are  they  of  every  convenience  which  is  furnished 
by  the  rudest  art,  that  they  have  not  so  much  as  an  implement 
te  dress  their  food.  Nevertheless,  they  seemed  to  have  no  wish 
for  acquiring  more  than  they  possessed  ;  nor  did  any  thing  thai 


^«;/>i 


^ 


m 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


I 


was  offered  them  by  the  English  appear  acceptable  but  beads, 
as  an  ornamental  superfluity  of  life.  A  conclusion  is  hence 
drawn  by  Dr.  Hawkesworth,  that  these  people  may  be  upon  a 
level  with  ourselves,  in  respect  to  the  happiness  they  enjoy. 
This,  however,  is  a  position  which  ought  not  hastily  to  be  admit- 
ted. It  is,  indeed,  a  beautiful  circumstance,  in  the  order  of 
Divine  Providence,  that  the  rudest  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and 
those  who  are  situated  in  the  most  unfavourable  climates,  should 
not  be  sensible  of  their  disadvantages.  But  still  it  must  be 
allowed,  that  their  happiness  is  greatly  inferior,  both  in  kind 
and  degree,  to  that  intellectual,  social,  and  moral  felicity,  which 
is  capable  of  being  attained  in  a  highly  cultivated  stato  of 
society. 

In  voyages  to  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  the  determination  of 
the  best  passage  from  the  Atlantic  is  a  point  of  peculiar  impor- 
tance. It  is  well  known  what  prodigious  difficulties  were  expe- 
rienced in  this  respect  by  former  navigators.  The  doubling  of 
of  Cape  Horn,  in  particular,  was  so  much  dreaded,  that  in  the 
general  opinion  it  was  far  more  eligible  to  pass  through  the 
Strait  of  Magellan.  Lieutenant  Cook  hath  fully  ascertained 
the  erroneousness  of  this  opinion.  He  was  but  three-and-thirty 
days  in  coming  round  the  land  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  from  the  east 
entrance  of  the  Strait  of  Le  Maire,  till  he  had  advanced  about 
twelve  degrees  to  the  westward,  and  three  and  a  half  to  the 
northward  of  the  Strait  of  Magellan  ;  and  during  this  time, 
the  ship  scarcely  received  any  damage.  "Whereas,  if  he  had 
come  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  that  passage,  he  would  not  have 
been  able  to  accomplish  it  in  less  than  three  months  ;  besides 
which,  his  people  would  have  been  fatigued,  and  the  anchors, 
cables,  sails,  and  rigging  of  the  vessel  much  injured.  By  the 
course  he  pursued,  none  of  these  inconveniences  were  suffered. 
In  short.  Lieutenant  Cook,  by  his  own  example  in  doubling  Cape 
Horn,  by  his  accurate  ascertainment  of  the  latitude  and  longi- 
tude of  the  places  he  came  to,  and  by  his  instructions  to  future 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


29 


voyagers,  perfcrraed  the  most  essential  services  to  this  part  of 
navigation. 

It  was  on  the  26th  of  January  that  the  Endeavoar  took  her 
departure  from  Cape  Horn  ;  audit  appeared,  that  from,  that  time 
to  the  1st  of  March,  during  a  run  of  six  hundred  and  sixty  leagues, 
there  was  no  current  which  affected  the  ship.  Hence  it  was 
highly  probable  that  our  navigators  had  been  near  no  land  of 
any  considerable  extent,  currents  being  always  found  when  land 
is  not  remote. 

In  the  prosecution  of  Lieutenant  Cook's  voyage  from  Cape 
Horn  to  Otaheite,  several  islands  were  discovered  ;  to  which  the 
names  were  given  of  Lagoon  Island,  Thrurab  Cap,  Bow  Island, 
the  Groups,  Bird  Island,  and  Chain  Island.  It  appeared  that 
most  of  these  islands  were  inhabited  ;  and  the  verdure,  and 
groves  of  palm-trees,  which  were  visible  upon  some  of  them,  gave 
them  the  aspect  of  a  terrestrial  paradise  to  men  who,  excepting 
the  dreary  hills  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  had  seen  nothing  for  a  long 
time  but  sky  and  water. 

On  the  nth  of  April  the  Endeavour  arrived  in  sight  of  Ota- 
heite, and  on  the  13th  she  came  to  an  anchor  in  Port  Royal  Bay, 
which  is  called  Matavia  by  the  natives.  As  the  stay  of  tlie 
English  in  the  island  was  nftt  likely  to  be  very  short,  and  much 
depended  on  the  manner  in  which  traffic  should  be  carried  on 
with  the  inhabitants.  Lieutenant  Cook,  with  great  good  sense  and 
humanity,  drew  up  a  set  of  regulations  for  the  behaviour  of  his 
people,  and  gave  it  in  command,  that  they  should  punctually  be 
observed.* 


i 


*  The  rules  were  u  follows :  "  1.  To  endeavour,  by  every  fair  means,  to  cultivate  • 
friendship  with  the  natives ;  and  to  treat  them  with  all  imaginable  humanity.  2.  A 
proper  person  or  persons,  will  be  appointed  to  trade  with  the  natives  for  all  manner  of 
provisions,  fruit  and  other  productions  of  the  earth;  and  no  ofTicer  or  seaman,  or  other 
person  belonging  to  the  ship,  excepting  such  as  are  so  appointed,  shall  trade,  or  offer  to 
trade,  for  any  sort  of  provisions,  fruit,  or  other  productions  of  the  earth,  unless  they 
have  leave  so  to  do.  8.  Every  person  employed  on  shore  on  any  duty  whatsoever,  i« 
strictly  to  attend  to  the  same;  and  if  by  any  neglect  he  loseth  any  of  his  arms,  or  worlc 
ing  tools,  or  suffers  them  to  be  stolen,  the  full  value  thereof  will  be  charge  1  again.st  hu 


m 


m 


/4/r 


i  !i 


30 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


'    i' 


One  of  the  first  things  that  occupied  the  lieutenant's  alien* 
tion,  after  his  arrival  at  Otaheite,  waft  to  prepare  for  the  execu- 
tion of  his  grand  commission.  For  this  purpose,  as,  in  an  excnr- 
sion  to  the  westward,  he  had  not  found  any  more  convenient 
harbour  than  that  in  which  the  Endeavour  lay,  he  determined  to 
go  on  shore  and  fix  upon  some  spot,  commanded  by  the  guns 
of  the  ship,  where  he  might  throw  up  a  small  fort  for  defence, 
and  get  every  thing  ready  for  making  the  astronomical  observa- 
tion. Accordingly,  he  took  a  party  of  men,  and  landed  ;  being 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  Mr.  Green.  They 
soon  fixed  upon  a  place  very  proper  for  their  design,  and  which 
was  at  a  considerable  distance  from  any  habitation  of  the 
natives.  While  the  gentlemen  were  marking  out  the  ground 
which  they  intended  to  occupy,  and  seeing  a  small  tent  erected, 
that  belonged  to  Mr.  Banks,  a  great  number  of  the  people  of  the 
country  gathered  gradually  around  them,  but  with  no  hostile 
appearance  ;  as  there  was  not  among  the  Indians  a  single  wea- 
pon of  any  kind.  Mr.  Cook,  however,  intimated  that  none  of 
them  were  to  come  within  the  line  he  hud  drawn,  excepting  one, 
who  appeared  to  be  a  chief,  and  Owhaw,  a  native  who  had 
attached  himself  to  the  English,  both  in  Captain  Wallis's  expedi- 
tion and  in  the  present  voyage.  The  lieutenant  endeavoured  to 
make  these  two  persons  understand  that  the  ground  which  had 
been  marked  out  was  only  wanted  to  sleep  upon  for  a  certaiu 
number  of  nights,  and  that  then  it  would  be  quitted.  Whether 
his  meaning  was  comprehended  or  not,  he  could  not  certainly 
determine  ;  but  the  people  behaved  with  a  deference  and  respect 
that  could  scarcely  have  been  expected,  and  which  were  highly 


.,,.  J, 


pay,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  navy  In  such  cases,  and  he  shall  receive  such  fur- 
ther punishment  as  the  nature  of  the  offence  may  deserve.  4.  The  same  penalty  will  be 
luflicted  on  every  person  who  Is  found  to  embezzle,  trade,  or  offer  to  trade,  with  any 
part  of  the  ship's  stores,  of  what  nature  soever.  6.  No  sort  of  iron,  or  any  thing  that  is 
uiade  of  Iron,  or  any  sort  of  cloth,  or  other  useful  or  necessary  articles,  are  to  be  given 
A  exchange  for  any  tfa  ng  but  provisloo 

"  J.  Cook." 


r  m 


FIRST   VOTA.OE. 


81 


pleasing.  Thej  sat  down  without  the  circle,  peaceably  and 
nninterruptedly  attending  to  the  progress  of  the  business,  which 
was  upwards  of  two  hours  in  completing. 

This  matter  being  finished,  and  Mr.  Cook  having  appointed 
thirteen  marines  and  a  petty  officer  to  guard  the  tent,  he  and  the 
gentlemen  with  him  set  out  upon  a  little  excursion  into  the  woods 
of  the  country.  They  had  not,  however,  gone  far,  before  they 
were  brought  back  by  a  very  disagreeable  event.  One  of  the 
Indians,  who  remained  about  the  tent  after  the  lieutenant  and  his 
friends  had  left  it,  watched  an  opportunity  of  taking  the  sentry 
unawares,  and  snatched  away  his  musitet.  Upon  this,  the 
petty  officer  who  commanded  the  party,  and  who  was  a  midship- 
man, ordered  the  marines  to  fire.  With  equal  want  of  consider- 
ation, and,  perhaps,  with  equal  inhumanity,  the  men  immediately 
discharged  their  pieces  among  the  thickest  of  the  flying  crowd, 
who  consisted  of  more  than  a  hundred.  It  being  observed  that 
the  thief  did  not  fall,  he  was  pursued,  and  shot  dead.  From  sub- 
sequent information,  it  happily  appeared,  that  none  of  the 
natives  besides  were  either  killed  or  wounded. 

Lieutenant  Cook,  who  was  highly  displeased  with  the  condnct 
of  the  petty  officer,  used  every  method  in  his  power  to  dispel  the 
terrors  and  apprehensions  of  the  Indians,  but  not  immediately 
with  effect.  The  next  morning  but  few  of  the  inhabitants  were 
seen  upon  the  beach,  and  not  one  of  theoi  came  off  to  the  ship. 
What  added  particularly  to  the  regret  of  the  English  was,  that 
even  Owhaw,  who  had  hitherto  been  so  constant  in  his  attach- 
ment, and  who  the  day  before  had  been  remarkably  active  in 
endeavouring  to  renew  the  peace  which  had  been  broken,  did  not 
now  make  his  appearance.  In  the  evening,  however,  when  the 
lieutenant  went  on  shore  with  only  a  boat's  crew  and  some  of 
the  gentlemen,  between  thirty  and  forty  o^  the  natives  gathered 
around  them,  and  trafficked  with  them,  in  a  friendly  manner,  for 
nocoa-nuts  and  other  fruit. 

On  the  17  th,  Mr.  Cook  and  Mr.  Green  set  npa  tent  on  shore, 


Ml] 


> 


■■'■fill-' 


'I  I' 


;i  1 


I  J 


i 


I 


i  r  ^ 


It 


S2 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


and  spent  the  night  there,  in  order  to  observe  an  eclipse  of  the 
first  satellite  of  Jupiter  ;  but  they  met  with  a  disappointment,  in 
consequence  of  tlie  weather  becoming  cloudy.  The  next  day 
the  lieutenant,  with  as  many  of  his  people  as  could  possibly 
-be  spared  from  the  ship,  began  to  erect  the  fort.  While  the 
English  were  employed  in  this  business,  many  of  the  Indians 
were  so  far  from  hindering,  that  they  voluntarily  assisted  them, 
and  v/ith  great  alacrity  brought  the  pickets  and  fascines  from 
the  wood  where  they  had  been  cut.  Indeed,  so  scrupulous  had 
Mr.  Cook  been  of  invading  their  property,  that  every  stake  which 
was  used  was  purchased,  and  not  a  tree  was  cut  down  till  their 
consent  had  first  been  obtained. 

On  the  2Gth,  the  lieutenant  mounted  six  swivel  guns  upon  the 
fort  ;  on  which  occasion  he  saw,  with  concern,  that  the  natives 
were  alarmed  and  terrified.  Some  fishermen,  who  lived  upon 
the  point,  removed  to  a  greater  distance  ;  and  Owhaw  informed 
the  English,  by  signs,  of  his  expectation  that  in  four  days  they 
would  fire  their  great  guns. 

The  lieutenant,  on  the  succeeding  day,  gave  a  striking  proof 
of  his  regard  for  justice,  and  of  his  care  to  preserve  the  inhab- 
itants from  injury  and  violence,  by  the  punishment  he  inflicted  on 
the  butcher  of  the  Endeavour,  who  was  accused  of  having  threat- 
ened, or  attempted  the  life  of  a  woman  that  was  the  wife  of 
Tubourai  Tomaida,  a  chief  remarkable  for  his  attachment  to  our 
navigators.  The  butcher  wanted  to  purchase  of  her  a  stone 
hatchet  for  a  nail.  To  this  bargain  she  absolutely  refused  to 
accede  ;  upon  which  the  fellow  catched  up  the  hatchet,  and 
threw  down  the  nail  ;  threatening,  at  the  same  time,  that  if  she 
made  any  resistance,  he  would  cut  her  throat  with  a  reaping  hoolc 
which  he  had  in  his  hand.  The  charge  was  so  fully  proved  in  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Banks,  and  the  butcher  had  so  little  to  say  in 
exculpation  of  himself,  that  not  the  least  doubt  remained  of  his 
guilt.  The  affair  being  reported  by  Mr.  Banks  to  Lieutenant 
Cook,  he  took  an  opportunity  when  the  chief  and  his  women 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


33 


And  others  of  the  natives,  were  on  board  the  ship,  to  call  up  the 
ofllender,  and  after  recapitulating  the  accusation  and  the  prooi 
of  it,  to  give  orders  for  his  immediate  punishment.  While  the 
butcher  was  stripped,  and  tied  up  to  the  rigging,  the  Indians 
preserved  a  fixed  attention,  and  waited  for  the  event  in  silent 
suspense.  But  as  soon  as  the  first  stroke  was  inflicted,  such  was 
the  humanity  of  these  people,  that  they  interfered  with  great 
agitation,  and  earnestly  entreated  that  the  rest  of  the  punish- 
ment might  be  remitted.  To  this,  however,  the  lieutenant,  for 
various  reasons,  could  uot  grant  his  consent,  and  when  they 
found  that  their  intercessions  were  ineffectual,  they  manifested 
their  compassion  by  tears. 

On  the  first  of  May  the  observatory  was  set  up,  and  the  as- 
tronomical quadrant,  together  with  some  other  instruments,  was 
taken  on  shore.  Wiien,  on  the  next  morning,  Mr.  Cook  and 
Mr.  Green  landed  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  the  quadrant  in  a  situ- 
ation for  use,  to  their  inexpressible  surprise  and  concern  it  was 
not  to  be  found.  It  had  been  deposited  in  a  tent  reserved  for 
the  lieutenant's  use,  where  no  one  had  slept  :  it  had  never  been 
taken  out  of  the  packing-case,  and  the  whole  was  of  considera- 
ble weight ;  none  of  the  other  instruments  were  missing,  and  a 
sentinel  had  been  posted  the  whole  night  within  five  yards  of 
the  tent.  These  circumstances  induced  a  suspicion  that  the 
robbery  might  have  been  committed  by  some  of  our  own  people, 
who,  having  seen  a  deal  box,  and  not  knowing  the  contents, 
might  imagine  that  it  contained  nails,  or  other  articles  for  traffic 
with  the  natives.  The  most  diligent  search,  therefore,  was 
made,  and  a  large  reward  was  offered  for  the  finding  of  the 
quadrant,  but  with  no  degree  of  success.  In  this  exigency,  Mr. 
Banks  was  of  eminent  service.  As  this  gentleman  had  more  in- 
fluence over  the  Indians  than  any  other  person  on  board  the  En- 
dervour,  and  as  there  could  now  be  little  doubt  of  the  quadrant's 
havmg  been  conveyed  away  by  some  of  the  natives,  he  deter- 
mined to  go  in  search  of  it  into  the  woods  :  and  it  was  recovered 

*.  2* 


ml 


*  "J' 


2.    !l  J 


!  ,1}' 


I 


I 


CAFFAIN   cook's 


in  consequence  of  his  judicious  and  spirited  exertions.  The  plcii- 
sure  with  which  it  was  brought  bacic  was  equal  to  the  import- 
ance of  the  event  ;  for  the  grand  object  of  the  voyage  could 
not  otherwise  have  been  accomplished. 

Another  embarrassment,  though  not  of  so  serious  a  nature, 
was  occasioned  on  the  very  same  day,  by  one  of  our  officers  hav- 
ing inadvertently  taken  into  custody  Tootahah,  a  chief  who  had 
connected  himself  in  the  most  friendly  manner  with  the  English. 
Lieutenant  Cook,  who  had  given  express  orders  that  none  of  the 
Indians  should  be  confined,  and  who,  therefore,  was  equally  sur- 
prised and  concerned  at  this  transaction,  instantly  set  Tootahah 
at  liberty.  So  strongly  had  this  Indian  been  possessed  with  the 
notion  that  it  was  intended  to  put  hira  to  death,  that  he  could 
not  be  persuaded  to  the  contrary  till  he  was  led  out  of  the  fort. 
His  joy  at  his  deliverance  was  so  great,  that  it  displayed  itself  in 
a  liberality  which  our  people  were  very  unwilling  to  partake  of, 
from  a  consciousness  that  on  this  occasion  they  had  no  claim  to 
the  reception  of  favours.  The  impression,  however,  of  the  con- 
finement of  the  chief  operated  with  such  force  upon  the  minds 
of  the  natives,  that  few  of  them  appeared  :  and  the  market  was 
so  ill  supplied,  that  the  English  were  in  want  of  necessaries.  At 
length,  by  the  prudent  exertions  of  Lieutenant  Cook,  Mr.  Banks, 
and  Dr.  Solander,  the  friendship  of  Tootahah  was  completely 
recovered,  and  the  reconciliation  worked  upon  the  Indians  like 
a  charm  ;  for  it  was  no  sooner  known  that  he  had  gone  volun- 
tarily on  board  the  Endeavour,  than  bread-fruit,  cocoa-nuts  and 
other  provisions  were  brought  to  the  fort  in  great  plenty. 

The  lieutenant  and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  had  hitherto, 
with  a  laudable  discretion,  bartered  only  beads  for  the  articles 
of  food  noyt  mentioned.  But  the  market  becoming  slack,  they 
were  obliged  for  the  first  time,  on  the  8th  of  May,  to  bring  out 
their  nails  ;  and  such  was  the  effect  of  this  new  commodity,  that 
one  of  the  smallest  size,  which  was  about  four  inches  long,  pro- 
cured twenty  cocoa-nuts,  and  bread  fruit  in  proportion. 


FIRST   VOYAOK. 


35 


It  was  not  till  the  lOtli  of  the  month  that  our  royiigers 
learned  that  the  Indian  name  of  the  island  was  Otaheitpi,  by 
which  name  it  hath  since  been  always  distinguished. 

On  Sunday,  the  14th,  an  instance  was  exhibited  of  the  inat- 
tention of  the  natives  to  onr  modes  of  religion.  The  lieutenant 
had  directed  that  divine  service  should  be  performed  at  the  fort  ; 
and  he  was  desirous  that  some  of  the  principal  Indians  should 
be  present.  Mr.  Banks  secured  the  attendance  of  Tubourai 
Tomaide  and  his  wife  Tomio,  hoping  that  it  would  give  occasion 
to  some  inquiries  on  their  part,  and  to  some  instruction  in  return. 
During  the  whole  service,  they  very  attentively  observed  Mr. 
Banks'  behaviour,  and  stood,  sat,  or  kneeled  as  they  saw  him  do  ; 
and  they  appeared  to  be  sensible  that  it  was  a  serious  and  im- 
portant employment  in  which  the  English  were  engaged.  But 
when  the  worship  was  ended,  neither  of  them  asked  any  ques- 
tions, nor  would  they  receive  any  explanations  which  were  at- 
tempted to  be  given  of  what  had  been  performed. 

As  the  day  approached  for  executing  the  grand  purpose  of 
the  voyage.  Lieutenant  Cook  determined,  in  consequence  of  some 
hints  which  he  had  received  from  the  Earl  of  Morton,  to  send 
out  two  parties  to  observe  the  Transit  of  Venus  from  other  situ- 
ations. By  this  means,  he  hoped  that  the  success  of  the  obser- 
vation would  be  secured,  if  there  should  happen  to  be  any  failure 
at  Otaheite.  Accordingly,  on  Thursday,  the  first  of  June,  ho 
despatched  Mr.  Gore  in  the  longboat  to  Eimeo,  a  neighbouring 
island,  together  with  Mr.  Monkhouse  and  Mr.  Sporing,  a  gentle* 
man  belonging  to  Mr.  Banks.  They  were  furnished  by  Mr 
Green  with  proper  instruments.  Mr.  Banks  himself  chose  to  go 
upon  this  expedition,  in  which  he  was  accompanied  by  Tubourai 
Tomaide  and  Tomio,  and  by  others  of  the  natives.  Early  the 
next  morning  the  lieutenant  sent  Mr.  Hicks,  in  the  pinnace,  with 
Mr  Clark  and  Mr.  Pickersgill,  and  Mr.  Saunders,  one  of  the  mid- 
shipmen, ordering  them  to  fix  upon  some  convenient  spot  to  the 
eastward,  at  a  distance  from  the  principal  observatory,  where 


■  m 


n 


80 


CAPTAIN   COOK  B 


tliry  also  might  employ  the  iastruracnts  they  were  provided  vith 
for  observing  the  transit. 

The  anxiety  for  such  weather  as  would  be  favourable  to  the 
Buccess  of  the  experiment,  was  powerfully  felt  by  all  parties  con- 
cerned. They  could  not  sleep  in  peace  the  preceding  night  ;  but 
their  appreliensions  were  happily  removed  by  the  sun's  rising,  on- 
the  morning  of  the  3d  of  June,  without  a  cloud.  The  weather 
continued  with  equal  clearness  through  the  whole  of  the  day,  so 
that  the  observation  was  successfully  made  in  every  quarter.  At 
the  fort,  where  Lieutenant  Cook,  Mr.  Green,  and  Dr.  Solander 
were  stationed,  the  whole  passage  of  the  planet  Venus  over  tlie 
sun's  disk  was  observed  with  great  advantage.  The  magnifying 
power  of  Dr.  Solauder's  telescope  was  superior  to  that  of 
those  which  belonged  to  the  lieutenant  and  to  Mr.  Green. 
Tliey  all  saw  an  atmosphere  or  dusky  cloud  round  the  body 
of  the  planet,  which  much  disturbed  the  times  of  the  contact, 
and  especially  of  the  internal  ones ;  and  in  their  accounts 
of  these  times,  they  differed  from  each  other  in  a  greater 
degree  than  miglit  have  been  expected.  According  to  Mr 
Green — 


The  first  external  contact,  or  "    t  appearance  of 

Venus  on  the  sun  was  ..... 
Tlie  first  internal  contact,  or  total  immersion, 

was 

The  second  internal  contact,  or  beginning  of  the 

immersion,  was  

The  second  external  contact,  or  total  immersion, 

was 

The  latitude  of  the  observatory  was  found  to  be  17"    29'    15";  »s 

the  longitude  149*    82'    80"  west  of  Greenwich. 


Morninf. 

h. 

min. 

sec. 

9 

26 

42 

9 

44 

4 

3 

14 

8 

8 

82 

10 

A  more  particular  account  of  this  great  astronomical  event, 
the  providing  for  the  accurate  observations  of  which  reflects  so 
much  honour  on  his  majesty's  munificent  patronage  of  science, 


FIRST    VOYAGK. 


37 


may  be  seen  iu  the  sixty-first  volume  of  the  I'liil  )50j)liicttl  TruuH- 
actiuiia. 

The  pleasure  which  Lieutenant  Cook  ami  his  frieuds  derived, 
from  having  thus  suecesstully  accomplisiied  the  first  grand  olyect 
of  the  voyage,  was  not  a  little  abated  by  the  conduct  of  some  of 
the  ship's  company  ;  who,  while  the  attention  of  the  ofiicers  was 
engrossed  by  the  transit  of  Venus,  broke  into  one  of  the  store- 
rooms, and  stole  a  quantity  of  spike-nails,  amounting  to  no  less 
than  a  liundred  weight.  Tiiis  was  an  evil  of  a  public  and  seri- 
ous nature  ;  for  these  nails,  if  injudiciously  circulated  among 
the  Indians,  would  be  productive  of  irreparable  injury  to  the 
English,  by  reducing  the  value  of  iron,  their  staple  commodity. 
One  of  the  thieves,  from  whom  only  seven  nails  were  recovered, 
was  detected  ;  but,  though  the  punishment  of  two  dozen  lashes 
was  inflicted  upon  him,  he  would  not  impeach  any  of  his  ao 
complices. 

Upon  account  of  the  absence  of  the  two  parties  who  had  been 
Bent  out  to  observe  the  transit,  the  king's  birth-day  was  celebrat- 
ed on  the  5th,  instead  of  the  4th  of  June  ;  and  the  festivity  of 
the  day  must  have  been  greatly  heightened  by  the  happy  suc- 
cess with  which  his  majesty's  liberality  had  been  crowned. 

On  the  12th,  Lieutenant  Cook  was  again  reduced  to  the  neces- 
sity of  exercising  the  severity  of  discipline.  Complaint  having 
been  made  to  him,  by  certain  of  the  natives,  that  two  of  the 
aeamen  had  taken  from  them  several  bows  and  arrows,  and  some 
strings  of  platted  hair,  and  the  charge  being  fully  supported,  he 
punished  each  of  the  criminals  with  two  dozen  of  lashes. 

On  the  same  day  it  was  discovered  that  Otaheite,  like  other 
countries  in  a  certain  period  of  society,  has  its  bards  and  its  min- 
strels. Mr.  Banks,  in  his  morning's  walk,  had  met  with  a  num- 
ber of  natives,  who  appeared,  upon  inquiry,  to  be  travelling 
musicians  ;  and,  having  learned  where  they  were  to  be  at 
night,  all  the  gentlemen  of  the  Endeavour  repaired  to  the  place. 
The  band  consisted  of  two  flutes,  and  three  drums  ;  and  tbi 


!'    W: 


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-pr" 


:im 


.m 


fr4 


■Mi 


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88 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


drummers  accompanied  the  music  with  their  voices.  To  the 
Biirprise  of  the  English  gentlemen,  they  found  that  themselvee 
were  generally  the  subject  of  the  song,  which  was  unpremeditat- 
ed. These  minstrels  were  continually  going  about  from  place  to 
place  ;  and  they  were  rewarded  by  the  master  of  the  house  and 
the  audience  with  such  things  as  they  wanted. 

The  repeated  thefts  which  were  committed  by  the  inhabitants 
of  Otaheite  brought  our  voyagers  into  frequent  difficulties,  and 
it  required  all  the  wisdom  of  Lieutenant  Cook  to  conduct  himself 
in  a  proper  manner.  His  sentiments  on  the  subject  displayed 
the  liberality  of  his  mind.  He  thought  it  of  consequence  to  put 
an  end,  if  possible,  to  thievish  practices  at  once,  by  doing  some- 
thing that  should  engage  the  natives  in  general  to  prevent  them, 
from  a  regard  to  their  common  interest.  Strict  orders  had  been 
given  by  him  that  they  should  not  be  fired  upon,  even  v/hen  they 
were  detected  in  attempting  to  steal  any  of  the  English  pro- 
perty. For  this  the  lieutenant  had  many  reasons.  The  com- 
mon sentinels  were  in  no  degree  fit  to  be  entrusted  with  a  power 
of  life  and  death  ;  neither  did  Mr.  Cook  think  that  the  thefts 
committed  by  the  Otaheitans  deserved  so  severe  a  punishment. 
They  were  not  born  under  the  law  of  England  ;  nor  was  it  one 
of  the  conditions  under  which  they  claimed  the  benefits  of  civil 
socJety,  that  their  lives  should  be  forfeited  unless  they  abstained 
from  theft.  As  the  lieutenant  was  not  willing  that  the  natives 
should  be  exposed  to  fire-arms  loaded  with  shot,  neither  did  he 
approve  of  firing  only  with  powder,  which,  if  repeatedly  found  to 
be  harmless,  would  at  length  be  despised.  At  a  time  when  a 
considerable  robbery  had  been  committed,  an  accident  furnished 
him  with  what  he  hoped  would  be  a  happy  expedient  for  pre- 
venting fatuie  attempts  of  the  same  kind.  Above  twenty  of  the 
sailing  canoes  of  the  inhabitants  came  in  with  a  supply  of  fish. 
Upon  these  Lieutenant  Cook  immediately  seized,  and,  having 
brought  them  into  the  river  behind  the  fort,  gave  notice  that 
3uless   the   things  which  had  been   stolen  were  returned,   the 


ii 


^;^ 


FIK&T   VOYAOK. 


80 


tanoes  should  be  burnt.  This  menace,  without  designing  to  put 
it  into  execution,  he  ventured  to  publish,  from  a  full  conviction 
that,  as  restitution  was  thus  made  a  common  cause,  the  stolen 
goods  would  all  of  them  speedily  be  brought  back.  In  this,  how- 
ever, he  was  mistaken.  An  iron  coal-rake,  indeed,  was  restored  ; 
upon  which  great  solicitation  was  made  for  the  release  of  the 
canoes  ;  but  he  still  insisted  on  his  original  condition.  When 
the  next  day  came,  he  was  much  surprised  to  find  that  nothing 
'/urther  had  been  returned  ;  and,  as  the  people  were  in  the  utmost 
distress  for  the  fish,  which  would  in  a  sliort  time  be  spoiled,  he  was 
reduced  to  the  disagreeable  alternative,  either  of  releasing  the 
canoes,  contrary  to  what  he  had  solemnly  and  publicly  declared, 
or  of  detaining  them,  to  the  great  damage  of  those  who  were  ipno- 
cent.  As  a  temporary  expedient,  he  permitted  the  natives  to  take 
the  fish,  but  still  detained  the  canoes.  So  far  was  this  measure 
from  being  attended  with  advantage,  that  it  was  productive  of 
new  confusion  and  injury  ;  for  as  it  was  not  easy  at  once  to  dis- 
tinguish to  what  particular  persons  the  several  lots  of  fish  be- 
longed, the  canoes  were  plundered  by  those  who  had  no  right  to 
any  part  of  the  cargo.  At  length,  most  pressing  instances  being 
still  made  for  the  restoration  of  the  canoes,  and  Lieutenant  Cook 
having  reason  to  believe,  either  that  the  things  for  which  he  de- 
tained them  were  not  in  the  island,  or  that  those  who  suflfered 
by  their  detention  were  absolutely  incapable  of  prevailing  upon 
the  thieves  to  relinquish  their  booty,  he  determined,  though  not 
immediately,  to  comply  with  the  solicitations  of  the  natives.  Our 
commander  was,  however,  not  a  little  mortified  at  the  ill  success 
of  his  project. 

About  the  same  time,  another  accident  occurred,  which,  not- 
withstanding all  the  caution  of  ar  principal  voyagers,  was  very 
near  embroiling  them  with  the  Indians.  The  lieutenant  having 
sent  a  boat  on  shore  to  get  ballast  for  the  ship,  the  officer,  not 
immediately  finding  stones  suitable  to  the  purpose,  began  to 
pull  down  some  part  of  an  inclosure  in  which  the  inhabitants 


:U 


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r 


I  Iff;: 


hi 


mm 


mamM 


40 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


had  deposited  the  boues  of  their  dead.  This  action  a  number  oi 
the  natives  violently  opposed,  and  a  messenger  came  down  to  the 
tents  to  acquaint  the  gentlemen  that  no  such  thing  would  be  suffered. 
Mr.  Banks  directly  repaired  to  the  place,  and  soon  put  an  amicable 
end  to  the  contest,  by  sending  the  boat's  crew  to  the  river,  where 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  stones  might  be  gathered  without  a 
possibility  of  giving  offence.  These  Indians  appeared  to  be 
much  more  alarmed  at  any  injury  which  they  apprehended  to 
be  done  to  the  dead  than  to  the  living.  This  was  the  only  mea- 
sure in  which  they  ventured  to  oppose  the  English  ;  and  the  only 
insult  that  was  ever  offered  to  any  individual  belonging  to  the 
Endeavour  was  upon  a  similar  occasion.  It  should  undoubtedly 
be  the  concern  of  all  voyagers  to  abstain  from  wantonly  offending 
the  religious  prejudices  of  the  people  among  whom  they  come. 

To  extend  the  knowledge  of  navigation  and  the  sphere  of  dis- 
covery, objects  which  we  need  not  say  that  Lieutenant  Cook 
kept  always  steadily  in  view,  he  set  out,  in  the  pinnace,  on  the 
twenty-sixth  of  June,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks,  to  make 
the  circuit  of  the  island  ;  during  which  the  lieutenant  and 
his  companions  were  thrown  into  great  alarm,  by  the  ap- 
prehended loss  of  the  boat.  By  this  expedition  Mr.  Cook  ob- 
tained an  acquaintance  with  the  several  districts  of  Otaheite, 
the  chiefs,  who  presided  over  them,  and  a  variety  of  curious  cir- 
cumstances respecting  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabi- 
tants. On  the  first  of  July  he  got  back  to  the  fort  at  Matavai, 
^aving  found  the  circuit  of  the  island,  including  the  two  peninsu- 
las of  which  it  consisted,  to  be  about  thirty  leagues. 

The  circumnavigation  of  Otaheite  was  followed  by  an  expedi- 
tion of  Mr.  Banks  to  trace  the  river  up  the  valley  from  which  it 
issues,  and  examine  how  far  its  banks  were  inhabited.  During 
this  excursion  he  discerned  many  traces  of  subterraneous  fire. 
The  stones,  like  those  of  Madeira,  displayed  evident  tokens  of 
having  been  burnt,  and  the  very  cluy  upon  the  hiUs  had  the  same 
appearance. 


% 


FIRST   VOYAGE 


41 


Another  valuable  employment  of  Mr.  Banks  was  the  piantlng  of 
a  great  quantity  of  the  seeds  of  water-melons,  oranges,  lemons, 
limes,  and  other  plants  and  trees,  which  he  had  collected  at  Rio 
de  Janeiro.  For  these  he  prepared  ground  on  each  side  of  the 
fort,  and  selected  as  many  varieties  of  soil  as  could  be  found.  He 
gave,  also,  liberally  of  these  seeds  to  the  natives,  and  planted, 
many  of  them  in  the  woods. 

Lieutenant  Cook  now  began  to  prepare  for  his  departure.  On 
the  7th  of  July  the  carpenters  were  employed  in  taking  down 
the  gates  and  palisadoes  of  the  fortification  ;  and  it  was  contin- 
ued to  be  dismantled  during  the  two  following  days.  Our  com- 
mander and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  were  in  hopes  that  they 
should  quit  Otaheite  without  giving  or  receiving  any  further 
offence  ;  but  in  this  respect  they  were  unfortunately  disappointed 
The  lieutenant  had  prudently  overlooked  a  dispute  of  a  smaller 
nature  between  a  couple  of  foreign  seamen  and  some  of  the 
Indians,  when  he  was  immediately  involved  in  a  quarrel,  which 
he  greatly  regretted,  and  which  yet,  it  was  totally  out  of  his 
power  to  avoid.  In  the  middle  of  the  night,  bet»veen  the  8th  and 
9th,  Clement  Webb  and  Samuel  Gibson,  tv,  o  of  the  marines,  went 
privately  from  the  fort.  As  they  were  not  to  be  found  in  the 
morning,  Mr.  Cook  was  apprehensive  that  they  intended  to  stay 
Dehind  ;  but,  being  unwilling  to  endanger  the  harmony  and  good- 
ff'iW  which  at  present  subsisted  between  our  people  and  the 
natives,  he  determined  to  wait  a  day  for  the  chance  of  the  men's 
return.  As,  to  the  great  concern  of  the  lieutenant,  the  marines 
were  not  come  back  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth,  inquiry  was 
made  after  them  of  the  Indians,  who  acknowledged  that  each  of 
tliem  had  taken  a  wife,  and  had  resolved  to  become  inhabitants 
of  the  country.  After  some  deliberation,  two  of  the  natives 
undertook  to  conduct  such  persons  to  the  place  of  the  dc.erters' 
retreat,  as  Mr.  Cook  should  think  proper  to  send  ;  and,  accord- 
ingly, he  despatched  with  the  guides  a  petty  officer  and  the  cor- 
poral of  the  marines.     As  it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  to 


!    a 


r    s 
!    i 


',■>  I. 


IB'    'H 

IB;      1'^ 

'  ^^^ 

'1 A 

iiWi 


42 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


recover  the  men,  and  to  do  it  speedily,  it  was  intimated  to  seve- 
ral of  the  chiefs  who  were  in  the  fort  with  the  women,  among 
whom  were  Tubourai  Tomaide,  Tomio,  and  Oberea,  that  they 
would  not  be  permitted  to  leave  it  till  the  fugitives  were  returned  ; 
and  the  lieutenant  had  the  pleasure  of  observing,  that  they 
received  the  intimation  with  very  Uttle  indications  of  alarm,  and 
with  assurances  that  his  people  should  be  secured  and  sent  back 
as  soon  as  possible.  While  this  transaction  took  place  at  the 
fort,  our  commander  sent  Mr.  Hicks  in  the  pinnace  to  fetch  Too- 
tahah  on  board  the  ship.  Mr.  Cook  had  reason  to  expect,  if  the 
Indian  guides  proved  faithful,  that  the  deserters,  and  those  who 
went  iu  search  of  them,  would  return  before  the  evening.  Being 
disappointed,  his  suspicions  increased,  and  thinking  it  not  safe, 
when  the  night  approached,  to  let  the  persons  whom  he  had 
detained  as  hostages  continue  at  the  fort,  he  ordered  Tubourai 
Tomaide,  Oberea,  and  some  others,  to  be  taken  on  board  the 
Endeavour  ;  a  circumstance  which  excited  so  general  an  alarm, 
that  several  of  them,  and  especially  the  women,  expressed  their 
apprehensions  with  great  emotion  and  many  tears.  Webb,  about 
nine  o'clock,  was  brought  back  by  some  of  the  natives,  who 
declared  that  Gibson,  and  the  petty  officer  and  corporal,  would 
not  be  restored  till  Tootahah  should  be  set  at  liberty.  Lieuten- 
ant Cook  now  fotind  that  the  tables  were  turned  upon  him  ; 
but,  having  proceeded  too  far  to  retreat,  he  immediately  des- 
patched Mr.  Hicks  in  the  long  boat,  with  a  strong  party  of  men, 
to  rescue  the  prisoners.  Tootahah  was,  at  the  same  time, 
informed  that  it  behoved  him  to  send  some  of  his  people  with 
them,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  them  eflFectual  assistance. 
With  this  injunction  he  readily  complied,  and  the  prisoners  were 
restored  without  the  least  opposition.  On  the  next  day  they 
were  brought  back  to  the  ship,  upon  which  the  chiefs  were  re- 
leased from  their  confinement.  Thus  ended  an  affair  which  had 
given  the  lieutenant  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  concern.  It 
appears,  however,  that  the  measure  which  he  pursued  was  tJie 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


43 


result  of  an  al>solute  necessity  ;  since  it  was  only  by  the  sci* 
lire  of  the  chiefs  that  he  recovered  his  men.  Love  was  the 
seducer  of  the  two  marines.  So  strong  was  the  attachment 
which  they  had  formed  to  a  couple  of  girls,  that  it  was  their 
design  to  conceal  themselves  till  the  ship  had  sailed,  and  to  take 
up  their  residence  in  the  island. 

Tupia  was  one  of  the  natives  who  had  so  particularly  devoted 
himself  to  the  English,  that  he  had  scarcely  ever  been  absent 
from  them  during  the  whole  of  their  stay  at  Otaheite.  He  had 
been  Oberea's  first  minister,  while  she  was  in  the  height  of  her 
power  ;  and  he  was  also  chief  priest  of  the  country.  To  his  know- 
ledge of  the  religious  principles  and  ceremonies  of  the  Indians,  he 
added  great  experience  in  navigation,  and  a  particular  acquain- 
tance with  the  number  and  situation  of  the  neighbouring  islands. 
This  man  had  often  expressed  a  desire  to  go  with  our  navigators, 
and  when  they  were  ready  to  depart,  he  came  on  board  with  a 
boy  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  entreated  that  he  might  be 
permitted  to  proceed  with  them  on  their  voyage.  To  have  such 
a  person  in  the  Endeavour  was  desirable  on  many  accounts  ;  and, 
there!    3,  Lieutenant  Cook  gladly  acceded  to  his  proposal. 

On  the  13th  of  July  the  English  weighed  anchor  ;  and  as  sooc 
as  the  ship  was  under  sail,  the  Indians  on  board  took  their  leaves, 
and  wept  with  a  decent  and  silent  sorrow,  in  which  there  was 
something  very  striking  and  tender.  Tupia  sustained  himself  in 
this  scene  with  a  truly  admirable  firmness  and  resolution  ;  for 
though  he  wept,  the  efibrt  he  made  to  conceal  his  tears,  con- 
curred with  them  to  do  him  honor. 

The  stay  of  our  voyagers  at  Otaheite  was  three  months,  the 
greater  part  of  which  time  was  spent  in  the  most  cordial  frienrl- 
ship  with  the  inhabitants  and  a  perpetual  reciprocation  of  good 
offices.  That  any  differences  should  happen  was  greatly  regretted 
on  the  part  of  Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  friends,  who  were  studi- 
ous to  avoid  them  as  much  as  possible.  The  principal  causes  of 
them  resulted  from  the  peculiar  situation  and  circumstauces  of 


v.-  (I, 


'111,. 
.     ti'    t 

m 


^ 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


the  English  and  the  Indians,  and  especially  from  the  disposition 
of  the  latter  to  theft.  The  effects  of  this  disposiiion  could  not 
always  be  submitted  to  or  prevented.  It  was  happy,  however, 
that  there  was  only  a  single  instance  in  which  the  differences 
that  arose  were  attended  with  any  fatal  consequence  ;  and  by 
that  accident  the  lieutenant  was  instructed  to  take  the  most 
effectual  measures  for  the  future  prevention  of  similar  events. 
He  had  nothing  so  much  at  heart,  as  that  in  no  case  the  inter- 
course of  his  people  with  the  natives  should  be  proaactive  of 
bloodshed. 

The  traffic  with  the  inhabitants  for  provisions  and  refreshments, 
which  was  chiefly  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Banks,  was  car- 
ried on  with  as  much  order  as  in  any  well-regulated  market  in 
Europe.  Axes,  hatchets,  spikes,  large  nails,  looking-glasses, 
knives  and  beads,  were  found  to  be  the  best  articles  to  deal  in  ; 
and  for  some  of  these,  everything  which  the  inhabitants  possessed 
nught  be  procured.  They  were,  indeed,  fond  of  fine  linen  cloth, 
whether  white  or  printed  ;  but  an  axe  worth  half  a  crown  would 
fetch  more  than  a  piece  of  cloth  of  the  value  of  twenty  shillings. 

It  would  deviate  from  the  plan  of  this  narrative  to  enter  into 
a  minute  account  of  the  nature,  productions,  inhabitants,  customs, 
and  manners  of  the  countries  which  were  discovered  or  visited  by 
Mr.  Cook  ;  or  to  give  a  particular  detail  of  every  nautical,  geo- 
graphical, and  astroilomical  observation.  It  will  be  sufficient 
here  to  take  notice,  that  our  commander  did  not  depart  from 
Otaheite  without  accumulating  a  store  of  information  and 
instruction  for  the  enlargement  of  knowledge,  and  the  benefit  of 
navigation. 

While  the  Endeav  )ur  proceeded  on  her  voyage  under  an  easy 
pail,  Tupia  informed  Lieutenant  Cook,  that  at  four  of  the  neigh- 
bouring islands,  which  he  distinguished  by  names  of  Huaheine, 
Ulietca,  Otaha,  and  Bolabola,  hogs,  fowls,  and  other  refresh- 
ments, which  had  latterly  been  sparingly  supplied  at  Otaheite, 
might  be  procured  in  great  plenty.     The  lieutenant,  however. 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


45 


wras  desirous  of  first  examining  an  island  that  lay  to  the  north- 
ward, and  was  called  Tethuroa.  Aceordinji^ly,  he  came  near  it  ; 
hut  having  found  it  to  be  only  a  small,  low  island,  and  being  told, 
at  the  same  time,  that  it  had  no  settled  inhabitants,  he  deter- 
mined to  drop  any  further  examination  of  it,  and  to  go  in  search 
of  Iluaheine  and  Ulietea,  which  were  described  to  be  well  peo- 
pled, and  as  large  as  Otaheite. 

On  the  15th  of  July,  the  weather  being  hazy,  with  light 
breezes  and  calms  succeeding  each  other,  so  that  no  land  could 
be  seen,  and  little  way  was  made,  Tupia  afforded  an  amusing 
proof  that,  in  the  exercise  of  his  priestly  character,  he  knew 
how  to  unite  some  degree  of  art  with  his  superstition.  He  often 
prayed  for  a  wind  to  his  god  Tane,  and  as  often  boasted  of  his 
success  ;  this,  indeed,  he  took  a  most  effectual  method  to  secure; 
for  he  never  began  his  address  to  his  divinity  till  he  perceived  the 
breeze  to  be  so  near,  that  he  knew  it  must  approach  the  ship 
before  his  supplications  could  well  be  brought  to  a  conclusion. 

The  Endeavour,  on  the  16th,  being  close  in  with  the  north- 
west part  of  Iluaheine,  some  canoes  soon  came  off,  in  one  of 
which  was  the  king  of  the  island  and  his  wife.  At  first  the  peo- 
ple seemed  afraid  ;  but  upon  seeing  Tupia,  their  apprehensions 
were  in  part  dispersed,  and  at  length,  in  consequence  of  frequent 
and  earnestly-repeated  assurances  of  friendship,  their  majesties, 
and  several  others,  ventured  on  board  the  ship.  Their  astonish- 
ment at  everything  which  was  shown  them  was  very  great  ;  and 
yet  their  curiosity  did  not  extend  to  any  objects  but  what  were 
particularly  pointed  out  to  their  notice.  When  they  had  become 
more  familiar,  Mr.  Cook  was  given  to  understand  that  the  king 
was  called  Oree,  and  that  he  proposed,  as  a  mark  of  amity,  their 
making  an  exchange  of  their  names.  To  this  our  commander 
readily  consented  ;  an  '.  during  the  remainder  of  their  being  toge- 
ther, the  lieutenant  was  Oree,  and  his  majesty  was  Cookee.  In 
the  afternoon,  the  Endeavour  having  come  to  an  anchor  in  a 
gmall,  but  excellent,  harbour  on  the  west  side  of  the  island,  the 


M 


'•,  *^ 


46 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


»  i''  li-i 


name  of  which  was  Owharre,  Mr.  Cook,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  Mr.  Monkhouse,  Tupia,  and  the  natives  who 
had  been  on  board  ever  since  the  morning,  immediately  went  on 
shore.  The  English  gentlemen  repeated  their  excursions  on  the 
two  following  days,  in  the  course  of  which  they  found  that  the 
people  of  Huaheine  had  a  very  near  resemblance  to  those  of  Ota- 
heite,  in  person,  dress,  language,  and  every  other  circumstance, 
and  that  the  productions  of  the  country  were  exactly  similar. 

In  trafficking  with  our  people,  the  inhabi .  .vs  of  Uuaheiwe  dis- 
played a  caution  and  hesitation  which  rendered  the  dealing  with 
them  slow  and  tedious.  On  the  19th,  therefore,  the  English  were 
obliged  to  bring  out  some  hatchets,  which  it  was  at  first  hoped 
there  would  be  no  occasion  for,  in  an  island  that  had  never 
before  been  visited  by  any  European.  These  procured  three  very 
large  hogs  ;  and  as  it  was  proposed  to  sail  in  the  afternoon,  Oree 
and  several  others  came  on  board  to  take  their  leave.  To  the 
king,  Mr.  Cook  gave  a  small  pewter  plate,  on  which  was  stamped 
this  inscription  ;  "  His  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Endeavour, 
Lieutenant  James  Cook,  commander,  16th  July,  1769,  Hua- 
heine."  Among  other  presents  made  to  Oree,  were  some  medals 
or  counters,  resembling  the  coin  of  England,  and  struck  in  the 
year  1761  ;  all  of  which,  and  particularly  the  plate,  he  promised 
carefully  and  inviolably  to  preserve.  This  the  lieutenant  thought 
to  be  as  lasting  a  testimony  as  any  he  could  well  provide,  that 
the  English  had  first  discovered  the  island,  and  having  dismissed 
his  visitors,  who  were  highly  pleased  with  the  treatment  they  had 
met  with,  he  sailed  for  Ulietea,  in  a  good  harbour  of  which  he 
anchored  next  day. 

Tupia  had  expressed  his  apprehensions  that  our  navigators, 
if  they  landed  upon  the  island,  would  be  exposed  to  the  attacks 
of  the  men  of  Bolabola,  whom  he  represented  as  having  lately 
conquered  it,  and  of  whom  he  entertained  a  very  formidable  idea 
This,  however,  did  not  deter  Mr.  Cook,  Afr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander, 
and  the  other  g'lntleraen,  from   going   immediately  on  shore 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


4T 


Tupia,  who  was  of  the  party,  introduced  them,  by  performing 
some  ceremonies  which  he  had  practised  before  at  Huaheiue. 
After  this,  the  lieutenant  hoisted  an  English  jacli,  and  in  the 
name  of  his  Britannic  majesty,  took  possession  of  Uiietea,  and 
the  three  neighbouring  islands,  Huaheine,  Otaha,  and  Bolabola, 
all  of  which  were  in  sight. 

On  the  21st,  the  master  was  despatched  in  the  long-boat,  to 
examine  the  coast  of  the  south  part  of  the  island  ;  and  one  of 
the  mates  was  sent  in  the  yawl,  to  sound  the  harbour  where  the 
Endeavour  lay.  At  the  same  time.  Lieutenant  Cook  went  him- 
self in  the  pinnace,  to  survey  that  part  of  Uiietea  which  lies  to 
the  north.  Mr.  Banks,  likewise,  and  the  gentlemen,  again  went 
on  shore,  and  employed  themselves  in  trading  with  the  natives, 
and  in  examining  the  productions  and  curiosities  of  the  country  ; 
but  they  saw  nothing  worthy  of  notice,  excepting  some  hunuia 
jaw-bones,  which,  like  scalps  among  the  Indians  of  North 
America,  were  trophies  of  war,  and  had  probably  been  hung  up 
by  the  warriors  of  Bolabola,  as  a  memorial  of  their  conquest. 

The  weather  being  hazy  on  the  22d  and  23d,  with  strong  gales, 
the  lieutenant  did  not  venture  to  put  to  sea;  but  on  24th,  tiiough 
the  wind  continued  to  be  variable,  he  got  undc Msail,  and  plied  to 
the  northward  within  the  reef,  purposing  to  go  out  at  a  wider 
opening  than  that  by  which  he  had  entered  the  harbour.  How- 
ever, in  doing  this,  he  was  in  imminent  danger  of  striking  on  the 
rock.  The  master,  who  by  his  order  had  kept  continually  sound- 
ing in  the  chains,  suddenly  called  out  "  two  fathom."  Though 
our  commander  knew  that  the  ship  drew  at  least  fourteen  feet, 
and  consequently  that  the  shoal  could  not  possibly  be  under 
her  keel,  he  was  nevertheless  justly  alarmed.  Ilappily,  the  mas- 
ter was  either  mistaken  or  the  Endeavour  went  along  the  edge 
of  a  coral  rock,  many  of  which,  in  the  neighborhood  of  these 
islands,  are  as  steep  as  a  wall. 

After  a  tedious  navigation  of  some  days,  during  which  several 
small  islands,  were  seen,  and  the  long-boat  landed  at  Otalui, 


m 


m 


4 


Iti 


m 


4B 


CAPTAIN    cook's 


I      ;    ;i 


Lieutenant  Cook  returned  to  Ulietca,  but  to  a  different  part  of  it 
from  tliat  whicli  he  had  visited  before.  In  a  harbor  belouuin}' 
to  the  west  side  of  the  island,  he  came  to  an  anchor  ou  the  1st 
of  Au{^ust.  This  measure  was  necessary,  in  orutT  to  stop  a  leak 
which  the  sliip  had  spiung  in  the  powder-room,  and  to  take  the 
more  ballast,  as  she  was  found  too  light  to  carry  sail  ui)on  a 
wind.  The  place  where  the  Endeavour  was  secured  was  con- 
veniently situated  for  the  lieutenant's  purpose  ol  obtaining  bal- 
last and  water. 

Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  the  gentlemen  who  went  on 
shore  this  day,  spent  their  time  much  to  their  satisfaction.  The 
reception  they  met  was  respectful  in  the  iiighest  degree,  and  the 
behaviour  of  the  Indians  to  the  English  indicated  a  fear  of  them, 
mixed  with  a  confidence  that  they  had  no  propensity  to  commit 
any  kind  of  injury.  In  an  intercourso  which  the  lieutenant  and 
his  friends  carried  on  for  several  days,  with  the  inhabitants  of 
this  part  of  the  island,  it  appeared  that  the  terrors  which  Tupia 
had  expressed  of  the  Bolabola  conquerors  were  wholly  ground- 
less. Even  Opoony,  the  formidable  king  of  Bolabola,  treated 
our  navigators  with  respect.  Being  at  Ulietea  on  the  5th  of 
August,  he  sent  Mr.  Cook  a  present  of  three  hogs,  some  fowls, 
and  several  pieces  of  cloth  of  uncommon  length,  together  with  a 
considerable  quantity  of  plantains,  cocoa-nuts,  and  other  refresh- 
ments.  This  present  was  accompanied  with  a  message,  that,  on  the 
next  day,  he  intended  to  pay  our  commander  a  visit.  Accordingly, 
on  the  6th,  the  lieutenant  and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  all  staid  at 
home,  in  expectation  of  this  important  visitor,  who  did  not,  how- 
ever, make  his  appearance,  but  sent  three  very  pretty  girls  as  his 
messengers,  to  demand  something  in  return  for  his  present.  In 
the  afternoon,  as  the  great  king  would  not  go  to  the  English, 
the  English  determined  to  go  to  the  great  king.  From  tho 
account  which  had  been  given  of  him,  as  lord  of  the  Bolabola 
men,  who  were  the  conquerors  of  Ulietea,  and  the  terror  of  all 
the  other  islands.  Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  companions  expected 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


49 


to  see  a  young  and  vigorous  chief  with  an  intelligent  countenance 
and  the  marks  of  an  enterprising  spirit  ;  instead  of  which,  they 
found  a  feeble  wretch,  withered  and  decrepit,  half  blind  with 
age,  and  so  sluggish  and  stupid,  that  he  scarcely  appeared  to  be 
possessed  even  of  a  common  degree  of  understanding.  Otaha 
bring  the  principal  place  of  Opoony'a  residence,  he  went  with 
our  navigators  to  that  island  on  the  next  day  ;  and  they  were 
in  hopes  of  deriving  some  advantage  from  his  influence,  in 
obtaining  such  provisions  as  they  wanted.  In  this  respect, 
however,  they  were  disappointed  ;  for,  though  they  had  pro- 
seuted  him  with  an  axe,  as  au  inducement  to  him  to  encourage 
his  subjects  iu  dealing  with  them,  they  were  obliged  to  leave 
him  without  having  procured  a  single  article. 

The  time  which  the  carpenters  had  taken  up  in  stopping  the 
leak  of  the  ship,  having  detained  our  voyagers  longer  at  Ulietea 
than  they  would  otherwise  have  staid,  Lieutenant  Cook  deter- 
mined to  give  up  the  design  of  going  on  shore  at  Bolabola,  espe- 
cially as  it  appeared  to  be  difficult  of  access.  The  principal 
islands,  about  which  the  English  had  now  spent  somewhat  more 
than  three  weeks,  were  six  in  number  :  Ulietea,  Otaha,  Bolabola, 
Huaheine,  Tubal,  and  Maurua.  As  they  lie  contiguous  to  each 
other,  the  lieutenant  gave  them  the  general  appellation  of  the 
Society  Islands  ;  but  did  not  think  proper  to  distinguish  them 
separately  by  any  other  names  than  thjse  by  which  they  were 
called  by  the  natives. 

On  the  9th  of  August,  the  leak  of  the  vessel  having  been 
stopped,  and  the  fresh  stock  that  had  been  purchased  being 
brought  on  board,  our  ccinmander  took  the  opportunity  of  i 
breeze  which  sprung  up  at  east,  and  sailed  out  of  the  harbour 
As  he  was  sailing  away,  Tupia  strongly  urged  him  to  fire  a  shot 
towards  Bolabola  ;  and  though  that  island  was  at  seven  leagues 
distance,  the  lieutenant  obliged  him  by  complying  with  his 
request.  Tupia's  views  probably  were,  to  display  a  mark  of  hiif 
'•eseutment,  and  to  show  the  power  of  his  new  allies. 

3 


k 
i  - 


ti. 


60 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


Our  voyagers  pursut-d  their  course,  without  meeting  with  any 
CTcut  worthy  of  notice,  till  the  13th,  when  land  was  discovered, 
bearing  south  cast,  and  which  Tupia  informed  them  to  bo  an 
island  called  Ohcteroa.  On  the  next  day,  Mr.  Cook  8ent  Mr. 
Gore,  one  of  his  lieutenants,  in  t^ie  pinnace,  with  orders  that  he 
should  endeavour  to  get  on  shore,  and  learn  from  the  natives 
whether  there  wan  anchorage  in  a  bay  then  in  sight,  and  what 
land  lay  further  to  the  southward.  Mr.  Gore  was  accompanied 
in  this  expedition  by  Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  Tupia,  who 
used  every  method,  but  in  vain,  to  conciliate  the  minds  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  to  engage  them  in  a  friendly  intercourse.  As, 
upon  making  the  circuit  of  the  island,  ncitlier  harbour  nor  anchor* 
age  could  be  found  upon  it,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  people  was  so  hostile  that  landing  would  be  render- 
ed impracticable  without  bloodshed,  Mr.  Cook  determined,  with 
equal  wisdom  and  humanity,  not  to  attempt  it,  having  no  motive 
that  could  justify  the  risk  of  life. 

From  Tupia  our  navigators  learned  that  there  were  various 
islands  lying  at  different  distances,  and  in  different  directions 
from  Olieteroa,  between  the  south  and  the  northwest,  and  that 
to  the  northeast  there  was  an  island  called  Manua,  Bird  Island. 
This  he  represented  as  being  at  the  distance  of  three  days'  sail ; 
but  he  seemed  most  desirous  that  Lieutenant  Cook  should  pro- 
ceed to  the  westward,  and  described  several  islands  in  that  situ- 
ation, which  he  said  he  had  visited.  It  appeared,  from  hia 
description  of  them,  that  theso  were  probably  Buscawen  and 
Keppel's  Islands,  which  were  discovered  by  Captain  Wallis. 
The  furthest  island  that  Tupia  knew  of  to  the  southward,  lay,  he 
j^aid,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  days'  sail  from  Oheteroa,  and 
was  called  Moutou.  But  he  added,  that  his  father  had  informed 
liim  of  there  being  islands  still  more  to  the  south.  Upon  the 
whole,  our  commander  determined  to  stand  southward,  in  search 
of  a  continent,  and  to  lose  no  time  in  attempting  to  discover  any 
other  islands,  than  such  as  he  might  happen  to  fall  in  witii  dur 


I'i 


F1U8T   VOYAOK. 


51 


:iJ 


On  the  15tli  of  August  our  voyagers  sailed  from  Oheterofc^ 
niid  on  the  25th  of  the  wSiirne  mouth  was  colebrutcd  the  unulvcr- 
sary  of  their  de[)arture  from  Enghiiid.  Tlie  comet  was  seeo  ou 
the  80th.  It  was  a  little  above  the  horizon,  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  heaveDS,  at  one  in  the  morning  ;  and  at  about  half  aa 
hour  after  four  it  passed  the  meridian,  and  Its  tail  subtended  an 
angle  of  forty-two  degrees.  Tupia,  who  was  among  others  that 
observed  the  comet,  instantly  cried  out,  that  as  soon  as  it  should 
be  seen  by  the  people  of  Bolabola,  they  would  attack  the  inhabit* 
ants  of  Ulietea,  who  would  be  obliged  to  endeavour  to  preserve 
their  lives  by  fleeing  with  thn  utmost  precipitation  to  the  moun- 
tains. 

On  the  6th  of  October  land  was  discovered,  which  appeared 
to  be  large.  When,  on  the  next  day,  It  was  more  distinctly 
visible,  it  assumed  a  still  larger  appearance,  and  displayed  four 
or  five  ranges  ol  hills,  rising  one  over  the  other,  above  all  which 
was  a  chain  of  mountains  of  an  enormous  height.  This  land 
naturally  became  the  subject  of  much  eager  conversation  ;  and 
the  general  opinion  of  the  gentlemen  on  board  the  Endeavour 
was,  that  they  had  found  tlje  Terra  australis  incognita.  In  fact 
it  was  a  part  of  New  Zealand,  where  the  first  adventures  the 
English  met  with  were  very  unpleasant,  on  account  of  the  hostile 
disposition  of  the  inhabitants. 

Lieutenant  Cook  having  anchored  ou  the  8th,  in  a  bay  at  the 
entrance  of  a  small  river,  went  on  shore  in  the  evening,  with  the 
pinnace  and  yawl,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander, 
and  attended  with  a  party  of  men.  Being  desirous  of  conversing 
with  some  natives  whom  he  had  observed  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river  from  that  on  which  he  had  landed,  he  ordered  the  yawl 
in,  to  carry  himself  and  his  companions  over,  and  left  the  pin- 
nace at  the  entrance.  When  they  came  near  the  place  where 
the  Indians  were  assembled,  the  latter  all  ran  away  ;  and  the 
gentlemen,  having  left  four  boys  to  take  care  of  the  yawl,  walked 
•ip  to  several  huts  which  were  about  two  or  three  hundred  yards 


'^   I'M 


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I'^lii 


I  :,. 


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6% 


CAPTAIN   COOK  S 


''    n 


I 


from  the  water  side.  They  had  not  gone  very  fai ,  when  fout 
men,  armed  witli  long  lances,  rushed  out  of  the  woods,  and  run 
ning  up  to  attack  the  boat,  would  certainly  have  cut  her  oflF,  if 
they  had  not  been  discovered  by  the  people  in  the  pinnace,  who 
called  to  the  boys  to  drop  down  the  stream.  The  boys  instantly 
obeyed  ;  but  being  closely  pursued  by  the  natives,  the  cockswain 
of  the  pinnace,  to  whom  the  charge  of  the  boats  was  committed, 
fired  a  musket  over  their  heads.  At  this  th.^y  stopped  and 
looked  around  them  ;  but  their  alarm  speedily  subsiding,  they 
brandished  their  lances  in  a  threatening  manner,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  renewed  the  pursuit.  The  firing  of  a  second  musket 
over  their  heads  did  not  draw  from  them  any  kind  of  notice. 
At  last,  one  of  them  having  lifted  up  his  spear  to  dart  it  at  the 
boat,  another  piece  was  fired,  by  which  he  was  shot  dead.  At 
the  fall  of  their  associate,  the  three  remaining  Indians  stood  for 
a  while  motionless,  and  seemed  petrified  with  astonishment.  No 
sooner  had  they  recovered  themselves,  than  they  went  back, 
dragging  after  them  the  dead  body,  which,  however,  they  were 
obliged  to  leave,  that  it  might  not  retard  their  flight.  Lieuten- 
ant Cook  and  his  friends,  who  had  straggled  to  a  little  distance 
from  each  other,  were  drawn  together  upon  the  report  of  the 
first  musket,  aud  returned  speedily  to  the  boat,  in  which,  having 
crossed  the  river,  they  soon  beheld  the  Indian  lying  dead  upon 
the  ground.  After  their  return  to  the  ship,  they  could  hear  the 
people  on  shore  talking  with  great  earnestness,  and  in  a  very 
loud  tone  of  voice. 

Notwithstanding  this  disaster,  the  lieutenant,  being  desirous  of 
establishing  an  intercourse  with  the  natives,  ordered,  en  the 
following  day,  three  boats  to  be  manned  with  seamen  and 
marines,  aud  proceeded  towards  the  shore,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  the  other  gentlemen,  and  Tupia.  About 
fifty  of  the  inhabitants  seemed  to  wait  for  their  landing,  having 
seated  themselves  upon  the  ground,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river.     This  being  regarded  as  a  sign  of  fear,  Mr  Cook,  with  only 


FIRST    VOYAGEr 


53 


Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  Tupia,  advanced  towards  them  j 
but  they  had  not  gone  many  paces  before  all  the  Indians  started 
up,  and  every  man  produced  either  a  long  pike,  or  a  small  wea- 
pon of  green  talk.  Though  Tupia  called  to  them  in  the  lan- 
guage of  Otaheite,  they  only  answered  by  flourishing  their  wea- 
pons, and  making  sijrns  for  the  gentlemen  to  depart.  On  a 
musket's  being  fired  \vide  of  them,  they  desisted  from  their 
threats  ;  and  our  commander,  who  had  prudently  retreated  till 
the  marines  could  be  landed,  again  advanced  towards  them,  with 
Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  Tupia.  to  whom  were  now  added 
Mr.  Green  and  Mr.  MonkiiDuse.  Tupia  was  a  second  time 
directed  to  speak  to  them,  and  it  was  perceived  with  great  plea- 
sure that  he  was  perfectly  understood,  his  and  their  language 
being  the  same,  excepting  only  in  a  diversity  of  dialect.  He 
informed  them  that  our  voyagers  only  wanted  provision  and 
water,  in  exchange  for  iron,  the  properties  of  which  he  explained 
as  far  as  he  was  able.  Though  the  natives  seemed  willn.g  to 
trade,  Tupia  was  sensible,  during  the  course  of  his  conversation 
with  them,  that  their  intentions  were  unfriendly  ;  and  of  tliis  he 
repeatedly  warned  the  Englir.h  gentlemen.  At  length  twenty  or 
thirty  of  the  Indians  were  induced  to  cross  the  river,  upon  which 
presents  were  made  them  of  iron  and  beads.  On  these  they 
appeared  to  set  little  value,  and  particularly  on  the  iron,  not 
having  the  least  conception  of  its  use,  so  that  nothing  was 
obtained  in  return  excepting  a  few  feathers.  Their  arms,  indeed, 
they  offered  to  exchange  for  those  of  our  voyagers,  and  this 
being  refused,  they  made  various  attempts  to  snatch  them  out  of 
their  hands.  Tupia  was  now  instructed  to  acquaint  the  Indians 
that  our  gentlemen  would  ue  ol  liged  to  kill  them,  if  they  pro- 
ceeded to  any  further  violence  ;  notwithstanding  which,  one  of 
them,  while  Mr.  Green  happened  to  turn  about,  seized  his  hanger, 
and  retired  to  a  little  d'  ^nce,  with  a  shout  of  exultation.  The 
others,  at  the  same  time,  began  to  be  extremely  insolent,  and 
mj'e  of  the  natives  were  seen  coming  to  join  them  from  the 


•VSl 


4 


..  ! 


Mil; 


'[i'i 


01 


CAPTAIN    (X)OK  8 


I 

V 

I 

III 


m 


opposite  side  of  the  rivv?r.  It  being,  therefore,  necessary  to  re- 
press them,  Mr.  Banks  fired,  with  -.mall  shot,  at  the  distance  ol 
about  fifteen  yards,  upon  the  man  who  had  taken  the  hanger 
Though  he  was  struck,  he  did  not  return  the  hanger,  but  con- 
tinued to  wave  it  round  his  head,  while  he  slowly  made  his  retreat. 
Mr.  Monkhouse  then  fired  at  him  with  ball,  and  he  instantly 
dropped.  So  far,  however,  were  the  Indians  from  being  suffi- 
ciently terrified,  that  the  main  body  of  them,  who,  upon  the  first 
discharge  had  retired  to  a  rock  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  began 
to  return,  and  it  was  with  no  small  diflBculty  that  Mr.  Monk- 
house  secured  tlie  hanger.  The  whole  number  of  them  continu- 
ing to  advance,  three  of  the  English  party  discharged  their 
pieces  at  them,  loaded  only  with  small  shot,  upon  which  they 
swam  back  for  th  j  shore,  and  it  appeared,  upon  their  landing, 
that  two  or  three  of  them  were  wounded.  While  they  retired 
slowly  up  the  country.  Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  companions  re- 
embarked  in  their  boats. 

As  the  lien.tenant  had  unhappily  experienced  that  nothing  art 
this  place  could  be  done  with  these  people,  and  found  that  the 
water  in  the  river  was  salt,  he  proceeded  in  the  boats  round  the 
head  of  the  bay,  in  search  of  fresh  water.  Beside  this,  he  had 
formed  a  design  of  surprising  some  of  the  natives,  and  taking 
them  on  board,  that,  by  kind  treatment  and  presents,  he  might 
obtain  their  friendship,  and  render  them  the  instruments  of 
establishing  for  him  an  amicable  intercourse  with  their  country- 
men. While,  upon  account  of  a  dangerous  surf  which  every 
where  beat  upon  the  shore,  the  boats  were  prevented  from 
landi'ig,  our  commander  saw  two  canoes  coming  in  from  the  sea; 
one  uiider  sail,  and  the  other  worked  with  paddles.  This  he 
thouj^ht  to  be  a  favourable  opportunity  for  executing  his  pur- 
pose. Accordingly,  the  boats  were  disposed  in  such  a  manner 
as  appeared  most  likely  to  be  successful  in  intercepting  the 
canoes.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  Indians  in  the  canoe  which 
wns  pnddied,  exerted  themselves  with  so  much  vigour  at  the  fir»st 


FIRST   V(  TAGE. 


55 


apprehension  of  danger,  that  they  escaped  to  the  nearest  land. 
The  other  canoe  sailed  on  without  discerning  the  Englisli,  till 
she  was  iu  the  midst  of  them  ;  but  no  sooner  had  she  discovered 
them,  than  the  people  on  board  struck  their  sail,  and  plied 
ftheir  paddles  so  briskly,  as  to  outrun  the  boat  by  which  they 
were  pursued.  Being  within  hearinji',  Tupia  called  to  them  to 
come  alongside,  with  assurances  that  they  should  not  in  any 
degree  be  hurt  or  injured.  They  trusted,  however,  more  to  their 
own  paddles,  than  to  Tupia's  promises,  and  continued  to  flee 
from  our  navigators  with  all  their  power.  Mr.  Cook,  as  the 
least  exceptionable  expedient  of  accomplishing  his  design,  ordered 
a  musket  to  be  fired  over  their  heads.  This,  he  hoped,  would 
either  make  them  surrender  or  leap  into  the  water,  but  it  pro- 
duced a  contrary  effect.  The  Indians,  who  were  seven  iu 
number,  immediately  formed  a  resolution  not  to  fly,  but  to  fight. 
When,  therefore,  the  boat  came  up,  they  began  to  attack  with 
their  paddles,  and  with  stones  and  other  offensive  weapons  ;  and 
they  carried  it  on  with  so  much  vigour  and  violence,  that  the 
English  thought  themselves  obliged  to  fire  upon  them  in  their 
own  defence  ;  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that  four  were 
unhappily  killed.  The  other  three,  who  were  boys,  the  eldest 
about  nineteen,  and  the  youngest  about  eleven,  instantly  leaped 
into  the  water,  and  endeavoured  to  make  their  escape  ;  but 
being  with  some  difficulty  ovtrpowered  by  our  people,  they  were 
brought  into  the  boat. 

It  is  impossible  to  reflect  upon  this  part  of  Lieutenant  Cook's 
conduct  with  any  degree  of  satisfaction.  He,  himself,  upon  a 
calm  review,  did  not  approve  of  it ;  and  he  was  sensible  that  it 
would  be  censured  by  the  feelings  of  every  reader  of  humanity 
It  is  probable  that  his  mind  was  so  far  irritated  by  the  disagree- 
able preceding  events  of  this  unfortunate  day,  and  by  the  unex 
pectcd  violence  of  thft  Indians  in  the  canoe,  as  to  lose  somewhat 
of  that  self-possession  by  which  his  character  in  gceral  was 
eminently   distinguished.       Candour,  however,  requires  that  J 


1l 


sj  ■  Vm 


i  € 


i  I 


# 


i 


vm  '■ 


66 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


h  \l 


should  relate  what  he  hath  offered  in  extenuation,  not  in  dc^'cnce 
of  the  transaction,  and  this  shall  be  done  in  his  own  words. 
"  These  people  certainly  did  not  deserve  death  for  not  choosing 
to  confide  in  my  promises,  or  not  consenting  to  come  on  board 
my  boat,  even  if  they  had  apprehended  no  danger.  But  the 
nature  of  my  service  required  that  I  should  obtain  a  knowledge 
of  their  country,  which  I  could  no  otherwise  effect  than  by 
forcing  my  way  into  it  in  a  hostile  manner,  or  gaining  admission 
through  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  people.  I  had 
already  tried  the  power  of  presents  without  eflTect  ;  and  I  was 
now  prompted,  by  my  desire  to  avoid  further  hostilities,  to  get 
some  of  them  on  board,  as  the  only  method  left  of  convincing 
them  that  we  intended  them  no  harm,  and  had  it  in  our  power  to 
contribute  to  their  gratification  and  convenience.  Thus  far  my 
intentions  certainly  were  not  criminal;  and  though  in  the  contest, 
which  I  had  not  the  least  reason  to  expect,  our  victory  might 
have  been  complete  without  so  great  an  expense  of  life,  yet  in 
such  situations,  when  the  command  to  fire  has  been  given,  no 
man  can  restrain  its  excess,  or  prescribe  its  effect." 

Our  voyagers  were  successful  in  conciliating  the  minds  of  the 
three  boys,  to  which  Tupia  particularly  contributed.  When 
their  fears  were  allayed,  and  their  cheerfulness  returned,  they 
sang  a  song  with  a  degree  of  taste  that  surprised  the  English 
gentlemen.  The  tune,  like  those  of  our  psalms,  was  solemn  and 
slow,  containing  many  notes  and  semitones. 

Some  further  attempts  were  made  to  establish  an  intercourse 
with  the  natives,  and  Mr.  Cook  and  his  friends,  on  the  10th,  went 
on  shore  for  this  purpose  ;  but  being  unsuccessful  in  their  endea* 
vours,  they  resolved  to  re-embark,  lest  their  stay  should  embroil 
them  in  another  quarrel,  and  cost  more  of  the  Indians  their  lives. 
On  the  next  day,  the  lieutenant  weighed  anchor,  and  stood  away 
from  this  unfortunate  and  inhospitable  place.  As  it  had  not 
afforded  a  single  article  that  was  wanted,  excepting  wood,  he 
gave  it  the  name  of  Poverty  Bay.     By  the   inhabitants  it  ii 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


67 


called  Taoneroa,  or  Long-sand.  I  shall  not  regularly  pursue  the 
course  of  our  commander  ro'ind  New  Zealand.  In  this  course 
he  spent  nearly  six  months,  and  made  large  additions  to  the 
knowledge  of  navigation  and  geography.  By  making  almost 
the  whole  circuit  of  New  Zealand,  he  ascertained  it  to  be  two 
islands,  with  a  strength  of  evidence  which  no  prejudice  could 
gainsay  or  resist.  He  obtained,  likewise,  a  full  acquaintance 
with  the  inhabitants  of  the  diflferent  parts  of  the  country,  with 
regard  to  whom  it  was  clearly  proved  that  they  are  eaters  of 
human  flesh.  Omitting  a  number  of  minute  circumstances,  I 
shall  only  select  a  few  things  which  mark  Mr.  Cook's  personal 
conduct,  and  relate  to  his  intercourse  with  the  natives. 

The  good  usage  the  three  boys  had  met  with,  and  the  friendly 
and  generous  manner  in  which  they  were  dismissed  to  their  own 
homes,  had  some  eflfect  in  softening  the  dispositions  of  the 
neighbouring  Indians.  Severd  of  them  who  had  come  on  board 
while  the  ship  lay  becalmed  in  the  afternoon,  manifested  every 
sign  of  friendship,  and  cordially  invited  the  English  to  go  back 
to  their  old  bay,  or  to  a  cove  which  was  not  quite  so  far  oflf. 
But  Lieutenant  Cook  chose  rather  to  prosecute  his  discoveries, 
having  reason  to  hope  that  he  should  find  a  better  harbour  than 
any  he  had  yet  seen. 

While  the  ship  was  hauling  round  to  the  south  end  of  a  small 
island,  which  the  lieutenant  had  named  Portland,  from  its  very 
great  resemblance  to  Portland  in  the  British  Channel,  she  sud- 
denly fell  into  shoal  water  and  broken  ground.  The  soundings 
were  never  twice  the  same,  jumping  at  once  from  seven  fathom 
to  eleven  However,  they  were  always  seven  fathom  or  more  ; 
and  in  a  short  time  the  Endeavour  got  clear  of  danger,  and  again 
sailed  in  deep  water.  While  the  ship  was  in  apparent  distress, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  island,  who  in  vast  numbers  sat  on  its 
white  cliflfs,  and  could  not  avoid  perceiving  some  appearance  of 
confusion  on  board  and  some  irregularity  in  the  working  of  the 
vessel,  were  desirous  of  taking  advantage  of  her  critical  situation 


m 


i 

> 

i 

58 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


Accordingly  five  canoes,  full  of  men,  and  well  arnaed,  vrerb  put 
off  with  the  utmost  expedition  ;  and  they  came  so  near  and 
sliowed  so  hostile  a  disposition,  by  shouting,  brandishing  their 
lances,  and  using  threatening  gestures,  that  the  lieutenant  was  ia 
pain  for  his  small  boat,  which  was  still  employed  in  sounding. 
By  a  musket,  which  he  ordered  to  be  fired  over  them, 
they  were  rather  provoked  than  intimidated.  The  firin..-; 
of  a  four  pounder,  locded  with  grapeshot,  though  purposely 
discharged  wide  of  them,  produced  a  better  effect.  Upon 
the  report  of  the  piece,  the  Indians  all  rose  up  and  shout- 
ed, but  instead  of  continuing  the  chase,  they  collected  them- 
selves together,  and,  after  a  short  consultation,  went  quietly 
away. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  Lieutenant  Cook  having  hoisted  out 
his  pinnace  and  long-boat  to  search  for  water,  just  as  they  were 
about  to  set  off,  several  boats,  full  of  New  Zealand  people,  were 
seen  coming  from  the  shore.  After  some  time,  five  of  these 
boats,  having  on  board  between  eighty  and  ninety  men,  made 
towards  the  ship,  and  four  more  followed  at  no  great  distance  as 
if  to  sustain  the  attack.  When  the  first  five  had  gotten  within 
about  a  hundred  yards  of  the  Endeavour,  they  began  to  sing 
their  war-song,  and  brandishing  their  pikes,  prepared  for  an  en- 
gagement. As  the  lieutenant  was  extremely  desirous  of  avoid- 
ing the  unhappy  necessity  of  using  fire-arms  against  the 
natives,  Tupia  was  ordered  to  acquaint  them  that  our  voyagers 
had  weapons  which,  like  thunder,  would  destroy  them  in  a  mo- 
ment ;  that  they  would  immediately  convince  them  of  their 
power,  by  directing  their  effect  so  that  they  should  not  be  hurt ; 
but  that,  if  they  persisted  in  any  hostile  attempt,  they  would  be 
exposed  to  the  direct  attack  of  these  formidable  weapons.  A 
four  pounder,  loaded  with  grape-shot,  was  then  fired  wide  of 
them  ;  and  this  expedient  was  fortunately  attended  with  success. 
The  report,  the  flash,  and  above  all,  the  shot,  which  spread  very 
far  in  the  water,  terrified  the  Indians  to  such  a  degree  that  ther 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


59 


began  to  paddle  away  with  all  their  might.  At  the  instance^ 
however,  of  Tnpia,  the  people  of  one  of  the  boats  were  induced 
to  lay  aside  their  arms,  and  to  come  under  the  stern  of  the  En- 
deavour, in  consequence  of  which  they  received  a  variety  of  pre- 
sents. 

On  the  next  day  a  circumstance  occurred,  which  showed  how 
ready  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  New  Zealand  was  to  take  an 
advantage  of  our  navigators.  Tn  a  large,  armed  canoe,  which 
came  boldly  alongside  of  the  ship,  was  a  man  who  had  a  black 
skin  thrown  over  him  somewhat  like  that  of  a  bear.  Mr.  Cook, 
being  desirous  of  knowing  to  what  animal  it  originally  belonged, 
oflFered  the  Indian  for  it  a  piece  of  red  baize.  With  this  bar- 
gain he  seemed  to  be  greatly  pleased,  immediately  pulling  off 
the  skin  and  holding  it  up  in  the  boat.  He  would  not,  however, 
part  with  it  till  he  had  the  cloth  in  his  possession  ;  and  as  there 
could  be  no  transfer  of  property,  if  equal  caution  should  be  ex- 
ercised on  both  sides,  the  lieutenant  ordered  the  baize  to  be  deli- 
vered into  his  hands.  Upon  this,  instead  of  sending  up  the  skin, 
he  began,  with  amazing  coolness,  to  pack  up  both  that  and  the 
cloth,  which  he  had  received  as  the  purchase  of  it,  in  a  basket  : 
nor  did  he  pay  the  least  regard  to  Mr.  Cook's  demand  or  remon- 
strances, but  soon  after  put  off  from  the  English  vessel.  Our 
commander  was  too  generous  to  revenge  this  insult  by  any  act 
of  severity. 

During  the  course  of  a  trafi3c  which  was  carrying  on  for  some 
fish,  little  Tayeto,  Tupia's  boy,  was  placed  among  others  over 
the  ship's  side,  to  hand  up  what  was  purchased.  While  he  was 
thus  employed,  one  of  the  New-Zealanders,  watching  his  oppor- 
tunity, suddenly  seized  him,  and  dragged  him  into  a  canoe. 
Two  of  the  natives  then  held  him  down  in  the  forepart  of  it,  and 
the  others,  with  great  activity,  paddled  her  off  with  all  possible 
celerity.  An  action  so  violent  rendered  it  indispensably  neces- 
sary that  the  marines,  who  were  in  arms  upon  the  deck,  should 
oe  ordered  to  fire.     Though  the  shot  was  directed  to  that  part 


i 


,^1!^ 


'i':' 


*      '1 


s. 


^0 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


of  the  canoe  which  was  furthest  from  the  boy,  and  somewnat 
wide  of  her,  it  being  thought  favourable  rather  to  miss  the  row- 
ers than  to  run  the  hazard  of  hurting  Tayeto,  it  happened  that 
one  man  dropped.  This  occasioned  the  Indians  to  quit  their 
hold  of  the  youth,  wlio  instantly  leaped  into  the  water,  and 
iiwam  towards  the  ship.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  largest  of  the 
canoes  pulled  round  and  followed  him  ;  and  till  some  muskets 
and  a  great  gun  were  fired  at  her,  did  not  desist  from  the  pur- 
suit. The  ship  being  brought  to,  a  boat  was  lowered,  and  the 
poor  boy  was  taken  up  nnhnrt.  Some  of  the  gentlemen,  who, 
with  t;h3ir  glasses  traced  the  canoes  to  shore,  agreed  in  asserting 
that  they  saw  three  men  carried  ui»  the  beach,  who  appeared  to 
to  bo  either  dead,  or  wholly  disabled  by  their  wounds. 

While,  on  the  18th,  the  Eiuleavour  lay  abreast  of  a  peninsula 
within  Portland  Is'and,  caUid  Terakako,  two  of  the  natives,  who 
were  judged  to  be  chiefs,  placed  an  extraordinary  degree  of  con- 
fidence in  Mr.  Cook.  They  were  so  well  pleased  with  the  kind- 
ness which  had  been  sliown  them  in  a  visit  to  the  ship,  that 
they  determined  not  to  go  on  shore  till  the  next  morning.  This 
was  a  circuuLstance  by  no  means  agreeable  to  the  lieutenant, 
and  he  remonstrated  against  it  ;  but  as  they  persisted  in  their 
resolution,  he  agreed  to  comply  with  it,  provided  their  servants 
Also  were  taken  on  board,  and  their  canoe  hoisted  into  the  ship. 
The  countenance  of  one  of  these  two  chiefs  was  the  most  open 
and  ingenuous  that  our  commander  had  ever  seen,  so  that  he 
soon  gave  up  every  suspicion  of  his  entertaining  any  sinister 
design.  When  the  guests  were  put  on  shore  the  next  moruing, 
they  expressed  some  surprise  at  seeiag  themselves  so  far  Trom 
their  habitations. 

On  Monday,  the  33d,  while  the  ship  was  in  Tegadoo  Bay, 
Lieutenant  Cook  went  on  shore  to  examine  the  vatering-place, 
and  found  everything  agreeable  to  his  wishes.  The  boat  landed 
in  the  cove  *vithout  the  least  surf  ;  the  water  was  excellent,  and 
conveniently  situated  j  there  was  plenty  of  wood  close  to  tne 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


m 


Ligh-water  mark,  and  the  disposition  of  the  people  was  as  favour^ 
able  in  all  respects  as  could  be  desired.  Early  the  next  morning, 
our  commander  sent  Lieutenant  Gore  to  superintend  the  cutting 
of  wood  and  filling  of  water,  with  a  sufficient  number  of  men  for 
both  purposes,  and  all  the  marines  as  a  guard.  Soon  after,  ho 
went  on  shore  himself,  and  continued  there  during  the  whole 
day.  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander,  who  had  landed  on  the  same 
day,  found  in  their  walks  several  things  worthy  of  notice.  As 
they  were  advancing  in  some  of  the  valleys,  the  hills  on  each 
side  of  which  were  very  steep,  they  were  suddenly  struck  with 
the  sight  of  an  extraordinary  natural  curiosity.  It  was  a  rock 
perforated  through  its  whole  substance,  so  as  to  form  a  rude  but 
stupendous  arch  or  cavern,  opening  directly  to  the  sea.  This 
aperture  was  seventy-five  feet  long,  twenty-seven  broad,  and  five- 
and-forty  feet  high,  commanding  a  view  of  the  bay  and  the  hills 
on  the  other  side,  which  were  seen  through  it,  and  opening  at 
once  upon  the  view,  produced  an  effect  far  superior  to  any  of 
the  contrivances  of  art. 

When,  on  the  28th,  the  gentlemen  of  the  Endeavour  went  on 
shore,  upon  an  island  which  lies  to  the  left  hand  of  the  entrance 
of  Tolaga  Bay,  they  saw  there  the  largest  canoe  they  had  yet  met 
with  ;  her  length  being  sixty-eight  feet  and  a  half,  her  breadth 
five  feet,  and  her  height  three  feet  six  inches.  In  the  same 
island  was  a  larger  house  than  any  they  had  hitherto  seen  j  but 
it  was  in  an  unfinished  state,  and  full  of  chips. 

While  the  ship  was  in  Hicks's  Bay,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
adjoining  coast  were  found  to  be  very  hostile.  This  gave  much 
uneasiness  to  our  navigators,  and  was,  indeed,  contrary  to  their 
expectation  ;  for  they  had  hoped  that  the  report  of  their  power 
and  clemency  had  spread  to  a  greater  extent.  At  day-break, 
on  the  1st  of  November,  they  counted  no  less  than  five-and-forty 
canoes  that  were  coming  from  the  shore  towards  the  Endeavour; 
and  these  were  followed  by  several  more,  from  another  place. 
Some  of  the  Indians  traded  fairly  ;  but  others  of  them  took  what 


«;J5 


■  .-*  V  1 


'    'it  !^ 

M 


.'Mt 


62 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


was  handed  O/j-vFu  to  them  without  making  any  return,  and 
added  derision  to  fraud.  The  insolence  of  one  of  them  was  very 
remarkable.  Some  linen  hanging  over  the  ship's  side  to  dry, 
this  man,  without  any  ceremony,  untied  it,  and  put  it  up  in  his 
bundle.  Being  immediately  called  to,  and  required  to  return  it, 
instead  of  doing  so,  he  let  his  canoe  drop  astern,  and  laughed  at 
the  English.  A  musket,  which  was  fired  over  his  head,  did  not 
put  a  stop  to  his  mirth.  From  a  second  musket,  which  was 
loaded  with  small  shot,  he  shrunk  a  little,  when  the  shot  struck 
him  upon  his  back  ;  but  he  regarded  it  no  more  than  one  of  our 
men  would  have  done  the  stroke  of  a  rattan,  and  continued  with 
great  composure  to  pack  up  the  linen  which  he  had  stolen.  All 
the  canoes  now  dropped  astern,  and  set  up  their  song  of  defiance, 
which  lasted  till  they  were  at  about  four  hundred  yards'  distance 
from  the  ship.  As  they  did  not  appear  to  have  a  design  of 
attacking  our  voyagers,  Lieutenant  Cook  was  unwilling  to  do 
them  any  hurt ;  and  yet  he  thought  that  their  going  off  in  a 
bravado  might  have  a  bad  effect,  wlien  it  should  be  reported  oc 
shore.  To  convince  them,  therefore,  that  they  were  still  in  his 
power,  though  far  beyond  the  reach  of  any  missile  weapon  with 
which  they  were  acquainted,  he  ordered  a  four-pounder  to  be 
fired  in  such  a  manner  as  to  pass  near  them.  As  the  shot  hap- 
pened to  strike  the  water,  and  to  rise  several  times  at  a  great 
distance  beyond  the  canoes,  the  Indians  were  so  much  terrified, 
that,  without  once  looking  behind  them,  they  paddled  away  as 
fast  as  they  were  able. 

In  standing  westward  from  a  small  island  called  Mowtohora, 
the  Endeavour  suddenly  shoaled  her  water  from  seventeen  to  ten 
fathom.  As  the  lieutenant  knew  that  she  was  not  far  off  from 
some  small  islands  and  rocks,  which  had  been  seen  before  it  was 
dark,  and  which  he  had  intended  to  have  passed  that  evening, 
he  thought  it  more  prudent  to  tack,  and  to  spend  the  night  under 
Mowrohora,  where  he  was  certain  that  there  was  no  danger.  It 
was  happy  for  himself,  and  for  all  our  voyagers,  that  he  formed 


FIRST   VOYAOK. 


lis 


If 


this  resolation.  In  the  morning  they  discovered,  ahead  of  thero, 
several  rocks,  some  of  which  were  level  with  the  surface  of  the 
water,  aod  some  below  it,  and  the  strilcing  against  which  could 
not,  in  the  hour  of  darkness,  have  been  avoided.  In  passing 
between  these  rocks  and  the  main,  the  ship  had  only  from  ten 
to  seven  fathom  water. 

While  Mr.  Cook  was  near  an  island  which  he  called  the 
Mayor,  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbouring  coast  displayed  many 
instances  of  hostility,  and  in  their  traffic  with  our  navigator^ 
committed  various  acts  of  fraud  and  robbery.  As  the  lieutenant 
intended  to  continue  in  the  place  five  or  six  days,  in  order  to 
make  an  observatioa  of  the  transit  of  Mercury,  it  was  absolutely 
necessary,  for  the  prevention  of  future  mischief,  to  convince 
these  people  that  the  English  were  not  to  be  illtreated  with 
impunity.  Accordingly,  some  small  shot  were  fired  at  a  thief  of 
uncommon  insolence,  and  a  musket-ball  was  discharged  through 
the  bottom  of  his-  boat.  Upon  this  it  was  paddled  to  about  a 
hundred  yards  distance  ;  and  to  the  surprise  of  Mr.  Cook  and 
his  friends,  the  Indians  in  the  other  canoes  took  not  the  least 
notice  of  their  wounded  companion,  though  he  bled  very  much, 
but  returned  to  the  ship,  and  continued  to  trade  with  the  most 
perfect  indifference  and  unconcern.  For  a  considerable  time 
they  dealt  fairly.  At  last,  however,  one  of  them  thought  fit 
to  move  off  with  two  different  pieces  of  cloth  which  had  been 
given  for  the  same  weapon.  When  he  had  gotten  to  such  a 
distance  that  he  thought  himself  secure  of  his  prizes,  a  musket 
was  fired  after  him,  which  fortunately  struck  the  boat  just  at 
the  water's  edge,  and  made  two  holes  in  her  side.  This  excited 
such  an  alarm,  that  not  only  the  people  who  were  shot  at,  but 
all  the  rest  of  the  canoes,  made  off  with  the  utmost  expedition. 
As  the  last  proof  of  superiority,  our  commander  ordered  a  round 
Bhot  to  be  fired  over  them,  and  not  a  boat  stopped  till  they  got 
to  land. 

After  an  early  breakfast  on  the  9th  of  November,  Lieutenant 


m 


m 


di 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


Cook  wctt  on  shore,  with  Mr.  Green,  and  proper  hi.struments^  to 
ol)serve  the  transit  of  Mercury.  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander 
were  of  the  party.  The  weather  had  for  some  time  been  very 
thick,  with  much  rain  ;  bat  this  day  proved  bO  favourable,  that 
not  a  cloud  intervened  during  the  whole  transit.  The  observa- 
tion  of  the  ingress  was  made  by  Mr.  Green  alone,  Mr.  Cook 
being  employed  in  taki'af;  the  sun's  altitude,  to  ascertain  the 
time. 

While  the  gentlemen  were  thus  engaged  on  shore,  they  were 
alarmed  by  the  firing  of  a  great  gun  from  the  ship,  and  on  their 
return,  received  the  following  account  of  the  transaction  from 
Mr.  Gore,  the  second  lieutenant,  who  had  been  left  commanding 
officer  on  board.  During  the  carrying  on  of  a  trade  with  some 
small  canoes,  two  very  large  ones  came  up,  full  of  men.  In  one 
of  the  canoes  were  forty-seven  persons,  all  of  whom  were  armed 
with  pikes,  stones,  and  darts,  and  assumed  the  appearance  of  a 
hostile  intention.  However,  after  a  little  time,  they  began  to 
traffic,  some  of  them  offering  their  arms,  and  one  of  them  a 
square  piece  of  cloth,  which  makes  a  part  of  their  dress,  called 
haahow.  Mr.  Gore  having  agreed  for  it,  sent  down  the  price, 
which  was  a  piece  of  British  cloth,  and  expected  liis  purchase. 
But  as  soon  as  the  Indian  had  gotten  Mr.  Gore's  cloth  in  his 
possession,  he  refused  to  part  with  his  own,  and  put  off  bis 
canoe.  Upon  being  threatened  for  his  fraud,  he  and  his  com- 
panions began  to  sing  their  war  song  in  defiance,  and  shook  their 
paddles.  Though  their  insolence  did  not  proceed  to  an  attack, 
and  only  defied  Mr.  Gore  to  take  any  remedy  in  his  power,  he 
was  so  provoked,  that  he  levelled  a  musket  loaded  with  ball  at 
the  offender,  while  he  was  holding  the  cloth  in  his  hand,  and 
shot  him  dead.  When  the  Indian  fell,  all  the  canoes  put  off  to 
some  distance,  but  continued  to  keep  together  in  such  a  manner, 
that  it  was  apprehended  they  might  still  meditate  an  attack.  To 
secure,  therefore,  a  safe  passage  for  the  boat  of  the  Endeavour, 
which  was  wanted  on  shore,  a  round  shot  was  fired  with  so 


FIRST    VOYAOK, 


mach  effect  over  their  heads,  as  made  ^hem  all  flee  with  the  utmost 
precipitation.  It  was  a  matter  of  regret  to  Lieutenant  Cook  that 
Mr.  (Jore  had  not,  in  the  ease  of  tiie  offending  Indian,  tried  tlie  ex- 
periment  of  a  fewHuiall  shot,  wiiich  had  been  successful  iu  former 
iustances  of  rol)bery. 

On  Friday,  tiie  10th,  our  commander,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Banks  and  the  other  gentlemen,  went  with  two  boats  to  exam- 
ine a  large  river  that  empties  itself  into  the  head  of  Mercury  Bay. 
As  the  fiituation  they  were  now  in  abounded  with  conveniences, 
the  lieutenant  has  taken  care  to  point  them  out,  for  the  benefit 
of  future  navigators.  If  any  occasion  should  ever  render  it  ne- 
cessary for  a  ship  either  to  winter  here,  or  to  stay  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time,  tents  might  be  built  on  a  high  point  or  peninsula  in 
this  place,  upon  ground  sufficiently  spacious  for  the  purpose  :  and 
they  might  easily  be  made  impregnable  to  the  whole  force  of  the 
country.  Indeed  the  most  skilful  engineer  in  Europe  could  not 
choose  a  situation  better  adapted  to  enable  a  small  number  to 
defend  themselves  against  a  greater.  Among  other  accommoda- 
tions which  the  Endeavour's  company  met  with  in  Mercury  Bay, 
they  derived  an  agreeable  refreshment  from  some  oyster  beds, 
which  they  had  fortunately  discovered.  ^The  oysters,  which 
were  as  good  as  ever  came  from  Colchester,  and  about  the  same 
size,  were  so  plentiful,  that  not  the  boat  only,  but  the  ship  itself, 
might  have  been  loaded  in  one  tide. 

On  Wednesday,  the  15th,  Lieutenant  Cook  sailed  out  of  Mer- 
cury Bay.  This  name  had  been  given  to  it  on  account  of  the 
observation  which  had  there  been  made  of  the  transit  of  that 
planet  over  *he  sun.  The  river  where  oysters  had  been  so 
plentifully  found,  he  called  Oyster  River.  There  is  another 
river,  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  which  is  the  best  and  safest  place 
for  a  ship  that  wants  to  stay  any  length  of  time.  From  the 
number  of  mangroves  about  it,  the  lieutenant  named  it  Man- 
grove River.  lu  several  parts  of  Mercury  Bay  our  voyagers 
saw  thrown  upon  the  shore  great  qnantities  of  iron  sand,  which 


.h 


I  •  \ 


I,. 


i  ;»,    -; 


S''  i  I, 


'if,. 

M 


•    ft 
d  1 1 


G6 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


is  brought  down  by  every  little  rivulet  of  fresh  water  that  finds 
its  way  from  the  country.  This  is  a  demonstration  that  there 
is  ore  of  that  metal  not  far  inland  •  -^nd  yet  none  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  New  Zealand,  who  had  yet  been  seen,  knew  the  use  of 
iron,  or  set  upon  it  the  least  degree  of  value.  They  had  all  of 
them  preferred  the  most  worthless  and  useless  trifle,  not  only  to  a 
nail,  but  to  any  tool  of  that  metal.  Before  the  Endeavour  left 
the  bay,  the  ship's  name  and  that  of  the  commander  were  cut 
upon  one  of  the  trees  near  the  watering-place,  together  with  the 
date  of  the  year  and  month  when  our  navigators  were  there. 
Besides  this,  Mr.  Cook,  after  displaying  the  English  colours,  took 
formal  possession  of  the  place  in  the  name  of  his  Britannic  Ma- 
yesty,  King  George  the  Third. 

In  the  range  from  Mercury  Bay,  several  canoes,  on  the  18th, 
put  off  from  different  places,  and  advanced  towards  the  Endea- 
vour. When  two  of  them,  in  which  their  might  be  about  sixty 
men,  came  within  the  reach  of  the  human  voice,  the  Indians  sung 
their  war  song  ;  but  seeing  that  little  notice  was  taken  of  them, 
they  threw  a  few  stones  at  the  English,  and  then  rowed  off  to- 
wards the  shore.  In  a  short  time,  however,  they  returned,  as  if 
with  a  fixed  resolution  to  provoke  our  voyagers  to  a  battle,  ani- 
mating themselves  by  their  song,  as  they  had  done  before.  Tu- 
pia,  without  any  directions  from  the  gentlemen  of  the  Endeavour, 
began  to  expostulate  with  the  natives,  and  told  them  that  our 
people  had  weapccs  which  could  destroy  them  in  a  moment. 
Their  answer  to  this  expostulation  was,  in  their  own  language, 
"  Come  on  shore,  and  we  will  kill  you  all."  "  Well,"  replied  Tu- 
pia,  "  but  why  should  you  molest  us  while  we  are  at  sea  ?  As 
we  do  not  wish  to  fight,  we  shall  not  accept  your  challenge  to 
come  on  shore  ;  and  here  there  is  no  pretence  for  a  quarrel,  the 
sea  being  no  more  your  property  than  the  ship."  This  eloquence, 
which  greatly  surprised  Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  friends,  as  they 
had  not  suggested  to  Tupia  any  of  the  arguments  he  made  use 
o\,  produced  no  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the  Indians,  who  soon 


As 
to 
the 
ice, 


FIRST   VOYAGE, 


6T 


renewed  their  attack  The  oratory  of  a  musket,  which  was  fired 
through  one  of  their  boats,  quelled  their  courage,  and  bent  them 
instantly  away. 

While  our  commander  was  in  the  Bay  of  Islands,  he  had  a 
favourable  opportunity  of  examining  the  interior  part  of  the 
country  and  its  produce.  Ai  daybreak,  therefore,  on  the  20th 
of  the  month,  he  set  out  in  t^ie  pinnace  and  long-boat,  accompan- 
ied oy  Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  Tupia,  and  found  the  inlet, 
at  which  they  entered,  end  ia  a  river,  about  nine  miles  above  the 
ship.  Up  this  river,  to  which  was  given  the  name  of  the  Thames, 
they  proceeded  till  near  noon,  when  they  were  fourteen  miles 
within  its  entrance.  As  the  gentlemen  then  found  the  face  of 
the  country  to  continue  nea-rly  the  same,  without  any  alteration 
in  the  course  of  the  stream,  and  had  no  hope  of  tracing  it  to  its 
source,  they  landed  on  the  west  side,  to  take  a  view  of  the  lofty 
trees  which  everywhere  adorned  its  banks.  The  trees  were  of 
a  kind  which  they  had  seen  before,  both  in  Poverty  Bay,  and 
Hawke's  Bay,  though  only  at  a  distance.  They  had  not  walked 
a  hundred  yards  into  the  woods,  when  they  met  with  one  of 
the  trees,  which  at  the  height  of  six  feet  above  the  ground,  was 
nineteen  feet  eight  inches  in  the  girt.  Lieutenant  Cook,  having 
a  quadrant  with  him,  measured  its  height  from  the  root  to  the 
first  branch,  and  found  it  to  be  eighty-nine  feet.  It  was  as 
straight  as  an  arrow,  and  tapered  but  very  little,  in  proportion 
to  its  height ;  so  that,  in  the  lieutenant's  judgment,  there  must 
have  been  three  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet  of  solid  timber  in  it, 
exclusive  of  the  branches.  As  the  party  advanced,  they  saw 
many  other  trees,  which  were  still  larger.  A  young  one  they 
'jut  down,  the  wood  of  which  was  heavy  and  solid,  not  fit  for 
masts,  but  such  as  would  make  the  finest  plank  in  the  world. 
The  carpenter  of  the  ship,  who  was  with  the  party,  said  that 
the  timber  resembled  that  of  the  pitch-pine,  which  is  lightened 
by  tapping.  If  it  should  appear  that  some  such  method  would 
he  successful  in  lightening  these  trees,  they  would  then  furnisb 


*:^ 


lyiiv 


m 


es 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


masts  sviperior  to  any  country  in  Europe.  As  the  wood  was 
Bwampy,  the  gentlemen  could  not  range  far  ;  but  they  found 
many  stout  trees  of  other  kinds,  with  which  they  wer:^  totally 
unacquainted,  and  specimens  of  which  they  brought  away. 

On  the  22d  another  instance  occurred  in  which  the  com- 
manding officer  left  on  board  did  not  know  how  to  exercise  his 
power  with  the  good  sense  and  moderation  of  Mr.  Cook.  While 
some  of  the  natives  were  in  the  ship  below  with  Mr.  Banks,  a 
young  man,  who  was  upon  the  deck,  stole  a  half-minute  glass, 
and  was  detected  just  as  he  was  carrying  it  off.  Mr.  Hicks,  in 
his  indignation  against  the  offender,  was  pleased  to  order  that 
he  should  be  punished,  by  giving  him  twelve  lashes  with  a  cat- 
o'nine  tails.  When  the  other  Indians  who  were  on  board  saw 
him  seized  for  the  purpose,  they  attempted  to  rescue  him,  and 
being  resisted,  they  called  for  their  arms,  which  were  handed  from 
the  canoes.  At  the  same  time,  the  people  of  one  of  the  canoes 
attempted  to  come  up  the  side  of  the  Endeavour.  The  tumult 
having  called  up  Mr.  Banks  and  Tupia,  the  natives  ran  to  the 
latter,  and  solicited  his  interposition.  All,  however,  which  he 
could  do,  as  Mr.  Hicks  continued  inexorable,  was  to  assure  them 
that  nothing  was  intended  against  the  life  of  their  companion, 
and  that  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  suffer  some  punishment 
for  his  offence  With  this  explanation  they  appeared  to  be  satis- 
fied ;  and  when  the  punishment  had  been  inflicted,  an  old  man 
among  the '^lectators,  who  was  supposed  to  be  the  criminal's 
father,  gave  him  a  severe  beating,  and  sent  him  down  into  his 
canoe.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  Indians  were  far  from  being 
reconciled  to  the  treatment  which  their  countryman  had  received. 
Their  cheerful  confidence  was  gone  ;  and  though  they  promised, 
at  their  departure,  to  eturn  with  some  fish,  the  Englicsh  saw  them 
no  more. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  Lieutenant  Cook,  Mr.  Banks,  Dr. 
Solander,  and  others  with  them,  were  in  a  situation  somewhat 
critical  and  alarming.    Having  landed  upon  an  island  in  the 


FLEST    VOYAGE. 


69 


neighbourhood  of  Cape  Bret,  they  were  in  a  few  minutes  sur- 
rounded by  two  or  three  hundred  people.  Though  the  Indians 
were  all  armed,  they  came  on  in  so  confused  and  straggling  a 
manner,  that  it  did  not  appear  that  any  injury  was  intened  by 
them  ;  and  the  English  gentlemen  were  determined  that  hostili- 
ties should  not  begin  on  their  part.  At  first  the  natives  con- 
tinued quiet ;  but  their  weapons  were  held  ready  to  strike,  and 
they  seemed  to  be  rather  irresolute  than  peaceable.  While  the 
lieutenant  and  his  friends  remained  in  a  state  of  suspense,  ano- 
ther party  of  Indians  came  up  ;  and  the  boldness  of  the  whole 
body  being  increased  by  the  augmentation  of  their  number,  they 
began  the  dance  and  song,  which  are  the  preludes  to  a  battle. 
An  attempt  that  was  made  by  a  number  of  them  to  seize  the  two 
boats  which  had  brought  our  voyagers  to  land,  appeared  to  be 
the  signal  for  a  general  attack.  It  now  became  necessary  for 
Mr  Cook  to  exert  himself  with  vigour.  Accordingly,  he  dis- 
charged his  musket,  which  was  loaded  with  small  shot,  at  once  at 
the  forwardest  of  the  assailants,  and  Mr.  Banks,  and  two  of  our 
men,  fired  immediately  afterwards.  Though  this  made  the 
natives  fall  back  in  some  confusion,  nevertheless,  one  of  the  chiefs, 
who  was  at  the  distance  of  about  twenty  yards,  had  the  courage 
to  rally  them,  and  calling  loudly  to  his  companions,  led  them  ou 
to  the  charge.  Dr.  Solander  instantly  disharged  his  piece  at 
this  champion,  who,  upon  feeling  the  shot,  stopped  short,  and 
then  ran  away  with  the  rest  of  his  countrymen.  Still,  how- 
ever, they  did  not  disperse,  but  got  upon  rising  ground,  and 
seemed  only  to  want  some  leader  of  resolution  to  renew  their 
assault.  As  they  were  now  gotten  beyond  the  reach  of  small 
shot,  the  English  fired  with  ball,  none  of  which  taking  effect,  the 
Indians  continued  together  in  a  body.  While  our  people  were 
in  this  doubtful  situation,  which  lasted  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  the  ship,  from  which  a  much  greater  number  of  natives 
were  seen  than  could  be  discovered  on  shore,  brought  her  broad- 
sicle  to  bear,  and  entirely  dispersed  them  by  firirg  a  few  shots 


.     S'.'i* 


ic: 


I 


n 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


iii 


over  their  heads.  In  this  skirmish  only  two  of  them  wcro  hart 
with  the  small  shot,  and  not  a  single  life  was  lost ;  a  case  which 
would  not  have  happened  if  Lieutenant  Cook  had  not  restrained 
his  men,  who,  either  from  fear  or  the  love  of  mischief,  showed  as 
much  impatience  to  destroy  the  Indians  as  a  sportsman  to  kill 
his  game.  Such  was  the  diflference  between  the  disposition  of 
the  common  seamen  and  marines,  and  that  of  their  humane  and 
judicious  commander. 

On  the  same  day  Mr.  Cook  displayed  a  very  exemplary  act  of 
discipline.  Some  of  the  ship's  people,  who,  when  the  natives 
were  to  be  punished  for  a  fraud,  assumed  the  i-^'-xorable  justice 
of  a  Lycurgus,  thought  fit  to  break  into  one  of  their  plantations, 
and  to  dig  up  a  quantity  of  potatoes.  For  this  the  lieutenant 
ordered  each  of  them  to  receive  twelve  lashes,  after  which  two 
of  them  were  discharged.  But  the  third,  in  a  singular  strain  of 
morality,  insisted  upon  it,  that  it  was  no  crime  in  an  Englishman 
to  plunder  an  Indian  plantation.  The  method  taken  by  our  com* 
mander  to  refute  his  casuistry,  was  to  send  him  back  to  his  con- 
finement, and  not  permit  him  to  be  released  till  he  had  been 
punished  with  six  lashes  more. 

The  Endeavour,  on  the  5th  of  December,  was  in  the  most 
imminent  hazard  of  being  wrecked.  At  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  that  day,  our  voyagers  weighed,  with  a  light  breeze  ; 
but  it  being  variable  with  frequent  calms,  they  made  little  way. 
From  that  time  till  the  afternoon,  they  kept  turning  out  of  the 
bay,  and  about  ten  at  night  were  suddenly  becalmed,  so  that 
the  ship  could  neither  wear  nor  exactly  keep  her  station.  The 
tide  or  current  setting  strong,  she  drove  towards  land  so  fast, 
that  before  any  measures  could  be  taken  for  her  security,  she  was 
within  a  cable's  length  of  the  breakers.  Though  our  people  had 
thirteen  fathom  water,  the  ground  was  so  foul  that  they  did  not 
dare  to  drop  their  anchor.  In  this  crisis,  the  pinnace  being  imme- 
diately hoisted  out  to  take  the  ship  in  tow,  and  the  men,  sensible 
of  their  danger,  exerting  themselves  to  the  utmost,  a  faint  brccz« 


FIRf-.T    VOYAGE. 


71 


sprang  up  off  the  land,  and  our  navigators  perceived,  with 
unspeakable  joy,  that  the  vessel  made  headway.  So  near  wan  she 
to  the  shore,  that  Tupla,  who  was  ignorant  of  the  hair's  breadth 
escape  the  company  had  experienced,  was  at  this  very  time  con- 
versing with  the  Indians  upon  the  beach,  whose  voices  were  dis- 
tinctly heard,  notwithstanding  the  roar  of  the  breakers.  Mr. 
Cook  and  his  friends  now  thonght  that  all  danger  was  over  :  bat 
about  an  hour  afterwards,  just  as  the  man  in  the  chains  had  cried 
"seventeen  fathom,"  the  ship  struck.  The  shock  threw  them 
into  the  utmost  consternation  ;  and  almost  instantly  the  man  in 
the  chains  cried  out  "  five  ^athom."  By  this  time,  the  rock  on 
which  the  ship  had  struck  being  to  the  windward,  she  went  off 
without  having  received  the  least  damage  ;  and  the  water  very 
soon  deepening  to  twenty  fathom,  she  again  sailed  in  security. 

The  inhabitants  in  the  Bay  of  Islands  were  found  to  be  far 
more  numerous  than  in  any  otlier  part  of  New  Zealand  which 
Lieutenant  Cook  had  hitherto  visited.  It  did  not  appear  that 
they  were  united  under  one  head  ;  and,  though  their  towns  were 
fortified,  they  seemed  to  live  together  in  perfect  amity. 

The  Endeavour,  on  the  9th  of  December,  lying  becalmed  in 
Doubtless  Bay,  an  opportunity  was  taken  to  inquire  of  the  natives 
concerning  their  country  ;  and  oar  navigators  learned  from 
them,  by  the  help  of  Tupia,  that  at  the  distance  of  three  days' 
rowing  in  their  canoes,  at  a  place  called  Moore-Whennua,  the 
land  would  take  a  short  turn  to  the  southward,  and  thence  extend 
no  more  to  the  west.  This  place  the  English  gentlemen  con- 
cluded to  be  the  land  discovered  by  Tasman,  and  which  had  been 
named  by  him  Cape  Maria  Van  Diemen.  The  lieutenant,  finding 
the  inhabitants  so  intelligent,  inquired  further,  if  they  knew  of 
any  country  besides  their  own.  To  this  they  answered,  that  they 
had  never  visited  any  other  ;  but  that  their  ancestors  had  told 
them,  that  there  was  a  country  of  great  extent  to  the  northwest 
by  north,  or  north-northwest,  called  Ulimaroa,  to  which  somo 
neople  had  sailed  in  a  very  large  canoe  ;  and  that  only  n  f)art  oi 


•M|||J 


% 


m 


s  ri 


...if'  i'  ■ 


M 


'il 


1*1 


72 


CAPTAIN    COOK'S 


them  had  returned,  who,  reported,  that,  after  a  passage  of  a 
month,  they  had  seen  a  c  )untry  where  the  people  eat  ho{;s. 

On  the  30th  December  our  navigators  saw  the  land,  which 
they  judged  to  be  Cape  Maria  Van  Dicnien,  and  which  corre- 
sponded with  the  account  that  had  been  given  of  it  by  the  Indians. 
Tlie  next  day,  from  the  appearance  of  Mount  Camel,  they  had  a 
at-monstration  that,  where  they  now  were,  the  breadth  of  New 
Zealand  could  not  be  more  than  two  or  three  miles  from  sea  to 
sea.  During  this  part  of  the  navigation,  two  particulars  occurred 
which  are  very  remarkable.  In  latitude  35°  S.  and  in  the 
midst  of  summer.  Lieutenant  Cook  met  with  a  gale  of  wind, 
which,  from  its  strength  and  continuance,  was  such  as  he  had 
scarcely  ever  been  in  before  ;  and  he  was  three  weeks  in  getting 
ten  leagues  to  the  westward,  and  five  weeks  in  getting  fifty 
leagues  ;  for  at  this  time,  being  the  1st  of  January,  1770,  it  was 
80  long  since  he  had  passed  Cape  Bret.  While  the  gale  lasted, 
our  voyagers  were  happily  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
land  ;  since,  otherwise,  it  was  highly  probable  that  they  would 
never  have  returned  to  relate  their  adventures. 

The  shore  at  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  where  the  English  had 
arrived  on  the  14th  of  January,  seemed  to  form  several  bays, 
into  one  of  which  the  lieutenant  proposed  to  carry  the  ship, 
which  was  now  become  very  foul,  in  order  to  careen  her,  to 
repair  some  defects,  and  to  obtain  a  recruit  of  wood  and  water. 
At  day-break  the  next  morning,  he  stood  in  for  an  inlet,  and  at 
eight  got  within  the  entrance.  At  nine  o'clock,  there  being 
little  wind,  and  what  there  was  being  variable,  the  Endeavour 
was  carried  by  the  tide  or  current  within  two  cables'  length  of 
the  northwest  shore,  where  she  had  fifty-four  fathom  water.  By 
the  iielp  of  the  boats  she  was  gotten  clear  ;  and  about  two,  our 
people  anchored  in  a  very  safe  and  convenient  cove.  Soon  after, 
Mr.  Cook,  with  most  of  thp  gentlemen,  landed  upon  the  coast, 
where  they  found  a  fine  stream  of  excellent  water,  and  wood  in 
the  greatest  plenty.     Indeed  the  land,  in  this  part  of  the  coun 


trj 

bij 

wil 

ani 

ti( 

vel 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


n 


try,  was  one  forest  of  vast  extent.  As  the  gentlemen  had 
brought  the  seine  with  them,  it  was  hauled  once  or  twice  ;  and 
with  such  success,  that  different  sorts  of  fish  were  caught, 
amounting  nearly  to  three  hundred  weight.  The  equal  distribu- 
tion of  these  among  the  ship's  company,  furnished  them  with  a 
rery  agreeable  refreshment. 

When  Lieutenant  Cook,  Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  Tupia,  and 
some  others,  landed  on  the  1 6th,  they  met  with  an  Indian  family, 
among  whom  they  found  horrid  and  indisputable  proofs  of  the 
custom  of  eating  human  flesh.  Not  to  resume  so  disagreeable  a 
subject,  it  may  here  be  observed,  once  for  all,  that  evidences  of 
the  same  custom  appeared  on  various  occasions. 

On  the  next  day  a  delightful  object  engaged  the  attention  of 
our  voyagers.  The  ship  lying  at  the  distance  of  somewhat  less 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  they  were  awakened  by 
the  singing  of  an  incredible  number  of  birds,  who  seemed  to 
strain  their  throats  in  emulation  of  each  other.  This  wild  melo- 
dy was  infinitely  superior  to  any  they  had  ever  heard  of  the 
same  kind,  and  seemed  to  be  like  small  bells,  most  exquisitely 
tuned.  It  is  probable,  that  the  distance,  and  the  water  between, 
might  be  of  no  small  advantage  to  the  sound.  Upon  inquiry, 
the  gentlemen  were  informed  that  the  birds  here  always  began 
to  sing  about  two  hours  after  midnight ;  and  that  continuing 
their  music  till  sunrise,  they  were  silent  the  rest  of  the  day.  In 
this  last  respect,  they  resemble  the  nightingales  of  our  own 
country. 

On  the  18th,  Lieutenant  Cook  went  out  in  the  pinnace,  to 
take  a  view  of  the  bay  in  which  the  ship  was  now  at  anchor  ; 
and  found  it  to  be  of  great  extent,  consisting  of  numberless  small 
harbours  and  coves,  m  every  direction.  The  Lieutenant  con- 
fined his  excursion  to  the  western  side,  and  the  coast  where  he 
landed  being  an  impenetrable  forest,  nothing  could  be  seen  wor- 
hy  of  notice.  As  our  commander  and  his  friends  were  return 
lug,  they  saw  a  single  man  in  a  canoe,  fishing  ;  rowing  up  to 


V  7 

•  I  m? 


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■HI  €-4 

ill  r  *,'  ,iC 


71 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


him,  to  their  great  surprise,  he  took  not  the  least  notice  of  them  ; 
and  even  when  they  were  alongside  of  him,  continued  to  follow 
his  occupation,  without  adverting  to  them  any  more  than  if  they 
had  been  invisible.  This  behaviour  was  not,  however,  the  result 
either  of  sullenne^s  or  stupidity  ;  for  upon  being  requested  to 
draw  up  his  net,  that  it  might  be  examined,  he  readily  couplied. 
He  showed,  like'sfisi  to  our  people,  his  mode  of  fialiiag,  which 
wnp  sim^  :•:  ar  '     i^tmIous. 

When,  w!.>  111  i9th,  the  armourer's  forge  was  set  up,  and  all 
hands  on  be- .r]  wt"f  busy  in  careening,  and  in  other  necessary 
operations  about  the  vessel,  some  Indians,  who  had  brought 
plenty  of  fish,  exchanged  them  for  nails,  of  which  they  had  now 
begun  to  perceive  the  use  and  value.  This  may  be  considered 
as  one  instance  in  which  they  were  enlightened  and  benefited  by 
their  intercourse  with  our  navigators. 

While,  on  the  22d,  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander  employed 
themselves  in  botanizing  near  the  beach,  our  commander,  taking 
a  seaman  with  him,  ascended  one  of  the  hills  of  the  country. 
Upon  reaching  its  summit,  he  found  the  view  of  the  inlet,  the 
head  of  which  he  had  a  little  before  in  vain  attempted  to  dis- 
cover in  the  pinnace,  intercepted  by  hills  still  higher  than  that 
on  which  he  stood,  and  which  were  rendered  inaccessible  by 
impenetrable  woods.  He  was,  however,  amply  rewarded  for 
his  labour  ;  for  he  saw  the  sea  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  country, 
and  a  passage  leading  from  it  to  that  on  the  west,  a  little  to  the 
eastward  of  the  entrance  of  the  inlet  where  the  ship  lay.  The 
main  laud,  which  was  on  the  southeast  side  of  this  inlet,  appear- 
ed to  be  a  narrow  ridge  of  very  high  hills,  and  to  form  part  of 
the  southwest  side  of  the  strait.  On  the  opposite  side,  the  land 
trended  away  east  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  ;  and  to  the 
southeast  there  was  discerned  an  opening  to  the  sea,  which 
washed  the  eastern  coast.  The  lieutenant  saw,  also,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  inlet,  some  islands  which  he  had  before  taken  to  be 
part  of  the  main  land.     In  returning  to  the  ship,  he  examined 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


7ff 


the  harbours  and  coves,  that  lie  behind  the  islands  which  he  had 
Btru  from  he  hills.  The  next  day  was  employed  by  him  in 
further  surveys  and  discoveries. 

Daring  a  visit  to  ^Lj  Indians,  on  the  24th,  Tnpia  being  of  the 
party,  they  wf.re  observed  to  be  continually  talking  of  guns  and 
shof^n'ng  people.  For  this  subject  of  their  conversation  the 
English  gentlemen  could  not  at  all  account.  But,  after  perplex- 
ing themselves  with  various  conjectures,  they  at  length  learned, 
that  on  the  21st,  one  of  our  oflBcers,  under  the  pretence  of  going 
out  to  fish,  had  rowed  up  to  a  hippah,  or  village,  on  the  coast. 
When  he  had  done  so,  two  or  three  canoes  ccv  .iii.<  ofif  towards 
his  boat,  his  fears  suggested  that  an  attac!  wa  ntended,  in 
consequence  of  which  three  muskets  were  ftveU  one  with  small 
shot,  and  two  with  ball,  at  the  Indians,  wnc  '  L^tired  with  the 
utmost  precipitation.  It  is  highly  probabi  that  they  had  come 
out  with  friendly  intentions,  for  such  intet  lois  were  expressed 
by  their  behaviour,  both  before  and  afterwards.  This  action  of 
the  officer  exhibited  a  fresh  instance  how  little  some  of  the  peo- 
ple under  Lieutenant  Cook  had  imbibed  of  the  wise,  discreet, 
and  humane  spirit  of  their  commander. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th,  the  lieutenant  went  again  out  in 
the  boat,  with  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander,  and  entered  one  of 
the  bays  which  lie  on  the  east  side  of  the  inlet,  in  order  to  obtain 
another  sight  of  the  strait  which  passed  between  the  eastern  and 
western  seas.  Having  landed  for  this  purpose  at  a  convenient 
place,  they  climbed  a  hill  of  very  considerable  height,  from  which 
they  had  a  full  view  of  the  strait,  with  the  land  on  the  opposite 
shore,  which  they  judged  to  be  about  four  leagues  distant.  As 
it  was  hazy  in  the  horizon,  they  could  not  see  far  to  the  south- 
east ;  but  Mr.  Cook  saw  enough  to  determine  him  to  search  the 
passage  with  the  ship,  as  soon  as  he  should  put  to  sea.  The 
gentlemen  found  on  the  top  of  the  hill  a  parcel  of  loose  stones, 
with  which  they  erected  a  pyramid,  and  left  in  it  some  musket 
balls,  small  shot,  beads,  and  such  other  things  which  they  hap 


r 


m 


76 


CAITAIN   COOK  8 


pened  to  have  about  them,  as  were  likely  to  stand  the  test  of 
time.  These,  not  being  of  Indian  workmanship,  would  convince 
any  European,  who  should  come  to  the  place  and  pull  it  down, 
that  natives  of  Europe  had  been  there  before.  After  this,  the  lieu- 
tenant and  his  friends  went  to  a  town  of  which  the  Indians  had 
informed  them,  and  which,  like  one  they  had  already  seen,  was 
built  upon  a  small  island  or  rock,  so  difficult  of  access,  that  they 
gratified  their  curiosity  at  the  risk  of  their  lives.  Here,  as  had 
been  the  case  in  former  visits  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of 
the  country  near  which  the  ship  now  lay,  they  were  received 
with  open  arms,  carried  through  the  whole  of  the  place,  and 
shown  all  that  it  contained.  The  town  consisted  of  between 
eighty  and  a  hundred  houses,  and  had  only  one  fighting  stage. 
Mr.  Cook,  Mr.  Banks,  and  Dr.  Solauder,  happened  to  have  with 
them  a  few  nails  and  ribands,  and  some  paper,  with  which  the 
people  were  so  highly  gratified,  that  when  the  gentlemen  went 
away,  they  filled  the  English  boat  with  dried  fish,  of  which  it 
appeared  that  they  had  laid  up  large  quantities. 

A  report  was  spread,  that  one  of  the  men  that  had  been  so 
rashly  fired  upon  by  the  ofiicer  who  had  visited  the  hippah,  under 
the  pretence  of  fishing,  was  dead  of  his  wounds.  But,  on  the 
29th,  the  lieutenant  had  the  great  consolation  of  discovering 
that  this  report  was  groundless.  On  the  same  day  he  went 
again  on  shore,  upon  the  western  point  of  the  inlet,  and  from  a 
hill  of  considerable  height,  had  a  view  of  the  coast  to  the  north- 
west. The  farthest  land  he  could  see  in  that  quarter  was  an 
island  at  the  distance  of  about  ten  leagues,  lying  not  far  from 
the  main.  Between  this  island  and  the  place  where  he  stood, 
he  discovered,  close  under  the  shore,  several  other  islands,  form- 
ing many  bays  in  which  there  appeared  to  be  good  anchorage 
for  shipping.  After  he  had  set  off  the  different  points  for  his 
survey,  he  erected  another  pile  of  stones,  in  which  he  left  a 
piece  of  silver  coin,  with  some  musket-balls  and  beads  and  a 
fragment  of  an  old  pendant  flying  at  the  top. 


FIRST   VOTAOR. 


77 


Ot.  the  30th  January,  the  ccroraonj  was  perf»jrmed  of  giving 
name  to  the  inlet  where  our  voyagers  now  lay,  and  of  erecting 
a  memorial  of  the  visit  which  they  had  made  to  this  place 
The  carpenter  having  prepared  two  posts  for  the  purpose,  onr 
commander  ordered  them  to  be  inscribed  with  the  ship's  name 
and  the  dates  of  the  year  and  the  month.  One  of  these  he  set 
up  at  the  watering-place,  hoisting  the  union-flag  upon  the  top 
of  it ;  and  the  other  he  carried  over  to  the  island  that  lies  near- 
est the  sea,  and  which  is  called  by  the  natives  Motuara.  Ho 
went  first,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Monkhouse  and  Tupia,  to  the 
neighbouring  village,  or  hippah,  where  he  met  with  an  ola  man 
who  had  maintained  a  friendly  intercourse  with  the  English.  To 
this  old  man,  and  scvp  il  Indians  besides,  the  lieutenant,  by 
means  of  Tupia,  explained  his  design,  which,  he  informed  thorn 
was  to  erect  a  mark  upon  the  island,  in  order  to  show  to  any 
other  ship  which  should  happen  to  come  thither,  that  our  navi- 
gators had  been  there  before.  To  this  the  inhabitants  readily 
consented,  and  promised  that  they  never  would  pull  it  down. 
He  then  gave  something  to  every  one  present,  and  to  the  old 
man  a  silver  three-pence,  and  some  spike-nails,  with  the  king's 
broad  arrow  cut  deep  upon  them.  These  were  things  which 
Mr.  Cook  thought  were  the  most  likely  to  be  long  preserved. 
After  this  he  conveyed  the  post  to  the  highest  part  of  the  is- 
land ;  and  having  fixed  it  firmly  in  the  ground,  hoisted  upon 
it  the  union-flag,  and  honoured  the  inlet  with  the  name  of 
Queen  Charlotte's  Sound.  At  the  same  time,  he  took  formal 
possession  of  this  and  the  adjacent  country,  in  the  name  and 
for  the  use  of  his  majesty  King  George  the  Third.  The  cere- 
mony was  concluded  by  the  gentlemen's  drinking  a  bottle  of 
wine  to  her  majesty's  health,  and  the  bottle  being  given  to  the 
old  man,  who  had  attended  them  up  the  hill,  he  was  highly  de- 
lighted with  his  present. 

A  philosopher,  perhaps,  might  inquire  on  what  ground  Lieu* 
tenant  Cook  could  take  formal  possession  of  this  j)art  ^7  New 


IS 


J 


.4i.« 


■>:-4 


4't  !• 


?^i 


ll 


'^'ik'' 


78 


CAPTAIN   COOK'S 


Zealand,  In  the  name  and  for  the  use  of  the  King  of  Oreut 
Britain,  when  thti  country  was  already  inliabitcd,  and  of 
course  belonged  to  those  by  whom  it  was  occupied,  and  whose 
ancestors  might  have  resided  in  it  for  many  preceding  ages.  To 
this  the  best  answer  seems  to  be,  that  the  lieutenant,  in  the  cere- 
mony performed  by  him,  had  no  reference  to  the  original  inhab- 
itants, or  any  intention  to  deprive  them  of  their  natural  rights^ 
but  only  to  preclude  the  claims  of  future  European  navigators, 
who,  uuder  the  auspices  and  for  the  benefit  of  their  respective 
states  or  kingdoms,  might  form  pretensions  to  which  they  were 
not  entitled  by  prior  discovery. 

On  the  Slat,  our  voyagers  having  completed  their  wooding 
and  filled  their  water  casks,  Mr.  Cook  sent  out  two  parties,  one 
to  cut  and  make  brooms  and  another  to  catch  fish.  In  the  even- 
ing there  was  a  strong  gale  from  the  northwest,  with  such  a  heavy 
rain,  that  the  little  wild  musicians  on  shore  suspended  their  song 
which  till  now  had  been  constantly  heard  during  the  night,  wit' 
a  pleasure  that  it  was  impossible  to  lose  without  regret.  The 
gale,  on  the  1st  of  February,  increased  to  a  storm,  with  heavy 
gusts  from  the  high  land,  one  of  which  broke  the  hawser,  that 
had  been  fastened  to  the  shore,  and  induced  the  necessity  of  let- 
ting go  another  anchor.  Though,  towards  midnight,  the  gale 
became  more  moderate,  the  rain  continued  with  so  much  violence 
that  the  brook  which  supplied  the  ship  with  water,  overflowed 
its  banks  ;  in  consequence  of  which  ten  small  casks,  that  had 
been  filled  the  day  before,  were  carried  away,  and  notwithstand- 
ing the  most  diligent  search  for  them,  could  not  be  recovered. 

The  Endeavour,  on  Monday,  the  5th,  got  under  sail  ;  but  the 
wind  soon  failing,  our  commander  was  obliged  again  to  come  to 
anchor,  a  little  above  Motuara.  As  ho  was  desirous  of  mak- 
ing still  farther  inquiries  whether  any  memory  of  Tasman  had 
been  preserved  in  New  Zealand,  he  directed  Tupia  to  ask  of  the 
old  man  before  mentioned,  who  had  come  on  board  to  take  hia 
leare  of  the  English  gentlemen,  whether  he  had  ever  heard  that 


FIRST   VOTAOK. 


79 


gneh  a  ressel  as  theirs  had  before  visited  the  country.  To  this 
he  replied  in  the  negative  ;  but  said  that  his  ancestors  had  told 
him,  that  there  once  had  arrived  a  small  vessel  from  a  distant 
land,  called  Ulimaroa,  in  which  were  four  men,  who  upon  their 
reaching  the  shore  were  all  killed.  On  being  asked  where  thii 
country  lay,  he  pointed  to  the  northward.*  Of  Ulimaroa,  Lieu- 
tenant Cook  had  heard  something  before,  from  the  people  about 
the  Bay  of  Islands,  who  said  that  it  had  been  visited  by  their 
ancestors.  Tupia  had  also  some  confused  traditionary  notions, 
concerning  it ;  but  no  certain  conclusion  could  be  drawn  either 
from  his  account  or  that  of  the  old  Indian. 

Soon  after  the  ship  came  to  anchor  tiic  second  time,  Mr.  Banks 
and  Dr.  Solander,  who  had  gone  on  shore  to  see  if  any  gleanings 
of  natural  knowledge  remained,  fell  in,  by  accident  with  the 
most  agreeable  Indian  family  they  had  yet  seen,  and  which  af- 
forded them  a  better  opportunity  of  remarkirg  the  personal  sub- 
ordination among  the  natives  than  had  before  offered.  The 
whole  behaviour  of  this  family  was  affable,  obliging,  and  un- 
suspicious. It  was  matter  of  sincere  regret  to  the  two  gentle- 
men, that  they  had  not  sooner  met  with  these  people,  as  a  better 
acquaintance  with  the  manners  and  disposition  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  country  might  hence  have  been  obtained  in  a  day, 
than  had  been  acquired  during  the  whole  stay  of  the  Eniclish 
upon  the  coast. 

When,  on  the  6th  of  February,  Lieutenant  Cook  had  gotten  out 
of  the  sound,  he  stood  over  to  the  eastward,  in  order  to  get  the 
strait  well  open  before  the  tide  of  the  ebb  approached.  At  seven 
in  ti  '  evening,  two  small  islands,  which  lie  off  Cape  Eoamaroo, 
at  the  southeast  head  of  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  bore  east,  at 
the  disi  mce  of  about  four  miles.  It  was  nearly  calm,  and  the 
tide  of  ebb  setting  out,  the  Endeavour,  in  a  very  sho't  time,  was 
carried  by  the  rapidity  of  the  stream  close  upon  one  of  the 
islands,  which  was  a  rock  rising  almost  perpend itularly  out  o' 
the  sea.     The  danger  increased  every  moment,  aid  there  wm 


1  r 


I      K 


I      '^1 

!       ,'5 


■  i-  m 


80 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


I  I 


bat  one  expedient  to  prevent  the  ship's  being  dashed  to  pieces, 
the  success  of  which  a  few  moracots  would  determine.  She  was 
now  within  a  little  more  than  a  cable's  length  of  the  rock,  and 
had  above  seventy-five  lathom  water.  But,  upon  dropping  an  an- 
chor, and  veering  above  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathom  of  cable, 
she  was  happily  brought  up.  This  however  would  not  have  saved 
our  navigators,  if  the  tide,  which  set  south  by  east,  had  not,  upon 
meeting  with  the  island,  changed  its  direction  to  southeast,  and 
carried  them  beyond  the  first  point.  In  this  situation  they  were 
not  above  two  cables'  length  from  the  rocks  ;  and  here  they  re- 
mained in  the  strength  of  the  tide,  which  set  to  the  south  east, 
after  the  rate  of  at  least  five  miles  an  hour,  from  a  little  after 
seven  till  midnight,  when  the  tide  abated,  and  the  vessel  began 
to  heave.  By  three  in  the  morning,  a  light  breeze  at  northwest 
having  sprung  up,  our  voyagers  sailed  for  the  eastern  shore  ; 
though  «hey  made  but  little  way,  in  consequence  of  the  tide 
being  against  them.  The  wind,  however,  having  afterward? 
freshened,  and  come  to  the  north  and  northeast,  with  this,  and 
the  tide  of  ebb,  they  were  in  a  short  time  hurrieu  through  the 
nafTOwest  part  of  the  strait,  and  then  stood  away  for  the  south- 
ernmost land  they  had  in  prospect.  There  appeared,  over  this 
land  a  mountain  of  stupendous  height,  which  was  covered  with 
snow.  The  narrowest  part  of  the  strait,  through  which  the 
Enr^eavour  had  been  driven  with  such  rapidity,  lies  between  Cape 
Tierawitte,  on  the  coast  of  Eaheinomauwe,  and  Cape  Koamaroo  ; 
the  distance  between  which  our  commander  judged  to  be  four  or 
five  leagues.  Notwithstanding  the  diflBculties  arising  from  this 
tid«?,  now  its  strength  is  known,  the  strait  may  be  passed  wifh- 
ont  danger. 

Some  of  the  officers  started  a  notion,  that  Eaheinmauwe 
was  not  an  island,  and  that  the  land  might  stretch  away  to 
the  southeast,  from  between  Cape  Tu'^nagain  and  Cape  Pall- 
iser,  there  being  a  space  of  between  twelve  and  fifteen  leagues 
which  had  not   yet  been  seen.     Though  Lieutenant  Cook,  from 


FIRST   VOTAOK 


81 


> 
or 

lis 

±- 

we 
to 
ill- 

nes 

001 


what  he  had  observed  the  first  time  he  discovered  the  strait,  and 
from  many  other  concurrent  circumstances,  had  the  strongest 
conviction  that  they  were  mistaken,  he,  nevertheless,  resolved  to 
leave  no  possibility  of  doubt  with  respect  to  an  object  of  so 
much  importance.  For  this  pur  ;3se  he  gave  such  a  direction  to 
navigation  of  the  ship,  as  would  most  effectually  tend  to  deter- 
mine the  matter.  After  a  course  of  two  days  he  called  the 
officers  upon  deck,  and  asked  them  whether  they  were  not  now 
satisfied  that  Eaheinomauwe  was  an  island.  To  this  question 
they  readily  answered  in  the  affirmative  ;  and  all  doubts  being 
removv,^,  **"*»  lieutenant  proceeded  to  further  researches. 

During  Mr.  Cook's  long  and  minute  examination  of  the  coast 
of  New  Zealand,  he  gave  names  to  the  bays,  capes,  promontories, 
islands  and  rivers,  and  other  places  which  were  seen  or  visited 
by  him  ;  excepting  in  those  cases  where  their  original  appella- 
tions were  learned  from  the  natives.  The  names  he  fixed  upon 
were  either  derived  from  certain  characteristic  or  adventitious 
circumstances,  or  were  conferred  in  honour  of  his  friends  and 
acquaintance,  chiefly  those  of  the  naval  line.  Such  of  the  read- 
ers of  the  present  work  as  desire  to  be  particularly  informed 
concerning  them,  will  naturally  have  recourse  to  the  indications 
of  them  in  the  several  maps  on  which  they  are  described. 

The  ascertaining  of  New  Zealand  to  be  an  island  did  not  con- 
clude Lieutenant  Cook's  examination  of  the  nature,  situation, 
and  extent  of  the  country.  After  this,  he  completed  his  circum- 
navigation, by  ranging  from  Cape  Turnagain  southward  along  the 
eastern  coast  of  Poenammoo,  round  Cape  South,  and  back  to 
\he  western  entrance  of  the  strait  he  had  passed,  and  which  was 
fery  properly  named  Cook's  Strait.  This  range,  which  com- 
menced on  the  9th  of  February,  I  shall  not  minutely  and 
regularly  pursue ;  but  content  myself,  as  in  the  former  course, 
with  mentioning  such  circumstances  as  are  more  directly  adapted 
to  my  immediate  design. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  14th,  when  Mr.  Banks  was  out  in  th^ 

4* 


t  ■  . 


.M'' 


-'•m'. 
[  ','\\ 


i  t,' 


?•■.  'Vl 


m, 


m 


83 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


I   I    : 


bout  a-shooting,  oar  voyagers  saw,  wi^^h  their  glasses,  four  diuble 
cauocs  put  off  from  the  shore  towards  him,  having  o.i  board  fifty- 
seven  men.  The  lieutenant,  being  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  hia 
friend,  immediately  ordered  signals  to  be  made  for  his  return  ; 
•  but  he  was  prevented  from  seeing  them  by  the  situation  of  the 
sun  with  regard  to  the  ship.  However,  it  was  soon  with  plea- 
sure observed  that  his  boat  was  in  motion;  and  he  was  taken  ou 
board  before  the  Indians,  who  perhaps  had  not  discerned  him, 
came  up.  Their  attention  seemed  to  be  wholly  fixed  upon  the 
ship.  They  came  within  about  a  stone's  cast  of  her,  and  then 
stopped,  gazing  at  the  English  with  a  look  of  vacant  astonish- 
ment. Tupia  in  vain  exerted  his  eloquence  to  prevail  upon  them 
to  make  a  nearer  approach.  After  surveying  our  navigators 
some  time,  they  left  them,  and  made  towards  the  shore.  The 
gentlemen  could  not  help  remarking,  on  this  occasion,  the  differ- 
ent dispositions  and  behaviour  of  the  different  inhabitants  of  the 
country,  at  the  first  sight  of  the  Endeavour.  The  people  now 
seen  kept  aloof  with  a  mixture  of  timidity  and  wonder  ;  others 
had  immediately  commenced  hostilities  ;  the  man  who  was  found 
fishing  alone  in  his  canoe  appeared  to  regard  our  voyagers  as 
totally  unworthy  of  notice  ;  and  some  had  come  on  board  almost 
without  invitation,  and  with  an  air  of  perfect  confidence  and 
^ood  will.  From  the  conduct  of  the  last  visiters,  Lieutenant 
Cook  gave  the  land  from  which  they  had  put  off,  and  which  had 
the  appearance  of  a;>  island,  the  name  of  Lookers-on. 

When  an  island,  which  lies  about  five  leagues  from  the  coast 
of  Tovy-Poenammoo,  and  which  was  named  Banks'  Island,  was 
fcrst  discovered  in  the  direction  of  south  by  west,  yome  persons 
ou  board  were  of  opinion  that  they  saw  land  bearing  south-south- 
east, and  southeast  by  east.  Our  commander,  who  was  himself 
npon  the  deck  at  the  time,  told  them,  that  in  his  judgment  it 
was  no  more  than  a  cloud,  which,  as  the  sun  rose,  would  dissipate 
and  vanish.  Being,  however,  determined  to  leave  no  subject  for 
disputation  which  experiment  could  remove,  he  ordered  the  ship 


FIRST  VOYAGE. 


83 


lad 


self 
tit 
tate 
for 
hip 


to  steer  in  the  direction  wiiich  the  supposed  country  was  said  to 
bear.  Having  gone  in  this  direction  eight-and-twenty  miles, 
without  discovering  any  signs  of  land,  the  Endeavour  resumed 
her  intended  course  to  the  southward,  it  being  the  particular  view 
of  the  lieutenant  to  ascertain  whether  Poenammoo  was  an  island 
or  a  continent. 

In  passing  some  rocks  on  the  9th  of  March,  in  the  night,  it 
appeared  in  the  morning  that  the  ship  had  been  in  the  most  immi- 
nent danger.  Her  escape  was  indeed  critical  in  the  highest 
degree.  To  these  rocks,  therefore,  which,  from  their  situation, 
are  so  well  adopted  to  catch  unwary  strangers,  Mr.  Cook  gave 
the  name  of  the  Traps.  On  the  same  day  he  reached  a  point  of 
land  which  he  called  the  South  Cape,  and  which  he  supposed,  aa 
proved  in  fact  to  be  the  case,  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
country. 

In  sailing,  on  Wednesday  the  14th,  the  Endeavour  passed  a 
narrow  opening  in  the  land,  where  there  seemed  to  be  a  very 
safe  and  convenient  harbour,  formed  by  an  island,  which  lay 
eastward  in  the  middle  of  the  opening.  On  the  land,  behind 
the  opening,  are  mountains,  the  summits  of  which  were  covered 
with  snow,  that  appeared  to  have  recently  fallen.  Indeed  our 
voyagers,  for  two  days  past,  had  found  the  weather  extremely 
cold.  On  each  side  the  entrance  of  the  opening,  the  land  rises 
almost  perpendicularly  from  the  sea  to  a  stupendous  height.  For 
this  reason  Lieutenant  Cook  did  not  choose  to  carry  the  ship  into 
the  harbour.  He  was  sensible  that  no  wind  could  blow  there 
but  right  in  or  right  out  ;  and  he  did  not  think  it  by  any  means 
advisable  to  put  into  a  place  whence  he  could  not  have  gotten 
out,  but  with  a  wind  which,  experience  had  taught  him,  did 
not  blow  more  than  one  day  in  a  month.  Sagacious  as  this 
determination  of  our  commander  was,  it  did  not  give  universal 
Ratisfac'ion.  He  acted  in  it  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  some 
persons  on  board,  who  expressed  in  strong  terms  their  desire  of 
coining  to  harbour  ;  not  suSBciently  consideriug  that  present  ccn 


5/ 

fc    r 

1  ' 

! 

r 

5,1 

'•i 

« 

•v 

'il^^ 


hi 


3 


:^'. 


84 


CAPTiilN   OOOK  8 


venience  ooght  not  to  be  purchased  at  the  expense  of  incorring 
great  fuiiire  disadvantages. 

By  the  2ttb  of  March,  Mr.  Cook  had  circumnavigated  the 
whole  country  of  Tovy-Poenammoo,  and  arrived  within  sight  of 
tlic  island  formerly  mentioned,  which  lies  at  the  distance  of  nine 
leagues  from  the  entrance  of  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound.  Having 
at  this  time  thirty  tons  of  empty  water-casks  ou  board,  it  waa 
necessary  to  fill  them  before  Le  finally  proceeded  on  his  voyage. 
For  this  purpose  he  hauled  round  the  island,  and  entered  a  bay, 
situated  between  that  and  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  and  to  which 
the  name  was  given  of  Admiralty  Bay. 

The  business  of  wooding  and  watering  having  been  completed 
on  the  30ih,  and  the  ship  being  ready  for  the  sea,  the  j,'xiut  now 
to  be  determined  was,  what  route  should  be  pursued  in  return- 
ing home,  that  would  be  of  most  advantage  to  the  public  service. 
Upon  this  subject  the  lieutenant  thought  proper  to  take  the 
opinion  of  his  oflBcers.  He  had  himself  a  strong  desire  to  return 
by  Cape  Horn,  because  that  would  have  enabled  him  to  deter- 
mine whether  there  is  or  is  not  a  southern  continent.  But 
against  this  scheme  it  was  a  sufficient  objection,  that  our  naviga- 
tors must  have  kept  in  a  high  southern  latitude,  in  the  very 
depth  of  winter,  and  in  a  vessel  which  was  not  thought  to  be  in 
a  condition  fit  for  the  undertaking.  The  same  reason  vfus  urged 
with  still  greater  force,  against  their  proceeding  directly  for  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  because  no  discovery  of  moment  could  be 
expected  in  that  route,  I.  was,  therefore,  resolved  that  they 
should  return  by  the  East  Indies,  and  that  with  this  view,  they 
should  steer  westward,  till  they  should  fall  in  with  the  east  coast 
of  New  Holland,  and  then  follow  the  direction  of  that  coast  to 
the  northward,  till  they  should  arrive  at  its  northern  extremity. 
If  that  should  be  found  impracticable,  it  was  farther  resobed, 
rha*^^  they  should  endeavour  to  fall  in  with  the  laud,  or  islands, 
said  to  have  been  discovered  by  Quiros. 

In  tlie  i\^  moi  »hs  which  Lieutenant  Cook  had  spent  in  the 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


85 


ezaroioation  of  New  Zealand,  he  made  very  large  additions  to 
the  knowledge  of  geography  and  navigation.  That  country  was 
first  discovered  in  the  year  1642,  by  Abel  Jansen  Tasman,  a 
Dutch  navigator.  He  traversed  the  eastern  coast  from  latitude 
34°  43'  and  entered  the  strait  now  called  Cook's  Strait ;  but 
being  attacked  by  the  natives  soon  after  he  came  to  an  anchor, 
in  th«  place  which  he  named  Murderer's  Bay,  he  never  went  on 
shore.  Nevertheless,  he  assumed  a  kind  of  claim  to  the  country 
by  calling  it  Staaten  Land,  or  the  Land  of  the  States,  in  honour 
of  the  States-General.  It  is  now  usually  distinguished  in  maps 
and  charifi  by  the  name  of  New  Zealand.  The  whole  of  the 
country,  excepting  that  part  of  the  coast  which  was  seen  by 
Tasman  from  on  board  his  ship,  continued  from  his  time  to  the 
voyage  of  the  Endeavour,  altogether  unknown.  By  many  persons 
it  has  been  supposed  to  constitute  a  part  of  a  southern  con- 
tinent ;  but  it  was  now  ascertained  by  Mr.  Cook  to  consist  of 
two  large  islands,  divided  from  each  other  by  a  strait  or  pass- 
age, which  is  about  four  or  five  leagues  bread.  These  islands 
are  situated  between  the  latitudes  of  35°  and  48°  south,  and 
between  the  longitudes  of  181°  and  194°  west ;  a  matter  whicli 
Mr.  Green  determined  with  uncommon  exactness,  from  innumera- 
ble observations  of  the  sun  and  moon,  and  one  of  the  transits  of 
Mercury.  The  northernmost  of  these  island  is  called  by  the 
natives  Eahciinomauwe,  and  the  southernm  '  Tovy,  or  Tavai 
Poenammoo.  It  is  not,  however  certain,  .hether  the  whole 
southern  islaad,  or  only  part  of  it,  is  conipi  ehanded  under  the 
latter  name. 

Tovy-Poenammoo  is  principally  a  monntainous,  and  to  all 
appearance  a  barren  country.  The  on  inhabitants,  and  signs 
of  inhabitants,  that  were  discovered  upon  all  the  islands,  were 
the  people  whom  our  voyagers  saw  in  Queon  Charlotte's  Sound, 
feome  that  came  off  to  them  under  the  snowy  mountains,  and 
several  fires  that  were  discerned  to  the  west  of  Cape  Saunders 
Eahcinomauwe  has  a  much  better  appearftine.     Though  it  is  not 


S*' 


;■<■     ;  i  >4'i 


I'    :'j 


-I 

l::F 


d 


M 


,*   4i 


S6 


OAPTAIN   COOK  8 


only  hilly,  but  mountainous,  even  the  hills  and  mountains  are  cover- 
ed with  wood,  and  every  valley  has  a  rivulet  of  water.  The  soil 
in  these  valleys,  and  in  the  plains,  many  of  which  are  not  overgrown 
with  wood,  is  in  general  light,  but  fertile.  It  was  the  opinion  of 
Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander,  as  well  as  of  the  other  gentlemen 
on  board,  that  all  kinds  of  European  grain,  plants,  and  fruit, 
would  fiourish  here  in  the  utmost  luxuriance.  There  is  reason  to 
conclude,  from  the  vegetables  which  our  navigators  found  in 
Eaheinomauwe,  that  the  winters  are  milder  than  those  in 
England ;  and  the  summer  was  experienced  not  to  be  hotter, 
though  it  was  more  equally  warm.  If  this  country,  therefore, 
should  be  settled  by  people  from  Europe,  they  might,  with  a  lit- 
tle industry,  very  soon  be  supplied,  in  great  abundance,  not 
merely  with  the  necessaries,  but  even  with  the  luxuries  of  life. 

In  Eaheinomauwe  there  are  no  quadrupeds  but  dogs  and  rats  ; 
at  least,  no  other  were  seen  by  our  voyagers,  and  the  rats  are  so 
scarce,  that  they  wholly  escaped  the  notice  of  many  on  board. 
Of  birds,  the  species  are  not  numerous  ;  and  of  these  no  one 
kind,  excepting  perhaps  th«  gannet,  is  exactly  the  same  with 
those  of  Europe.  Insects  are  not  in  greater  plenty  than  birds. 
The  sea  makes  abundant  recompense  for  this  scarcity  of  animals 
upon  the  land.  Every  creek  swarms  with  fish,  which  are  not 
only  wholesome,  but  equally  delicious  with  those  in  our  part  of 
the  world.  The  Endeavour  seldom  anchored  in  any  station,  or 
with  a  light  gale  passed  any  place,  that  did  not  afford  enough, 
with  a  hook  and  line,  to  serve  the  whole  ship^s  company.  If  the 
seine  was  made  use  of,  it  seldom  failed  of  producing  a  still  more 
ample  supply.  The  highest  luxury  of  this  kind,  with  which  tlie 
English  were  gratified,  was  the  lobster,  or  sea  cray-fish.  Among 
the  vegetable  productions  of  the  country,  the  trees  claim  a  prin- 
cipal place  ;  there  being  forests  of  vast  extent,  full  of  the 
straightest,  the  cleanest,  and  the  largest  timber  Mr.  Cook  and 
his  friends  had  ever  seen.  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander  were 
gratified  by  the  novelty,  if  not  by  the  variety   of  the  plants 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


87 


Out  of  aboat  foui  htiUdred  species,  there  were  not  many  which 
had  hitherto  been  described  by  botanists.  There  is  one  plant 
that  serves  the  natives  instead  of  hemp  and  flax,  and  which 
excels  all  that  are  applied  to  the  same  purposes  in  other  coun- 
tries. 

If  the  settling  of  New  Zealand  shoulcl  ever  be  deemed  an  ob 
|ect  deserving  the  attention  of  Great  Britan,  our  commander 
thought  that  tlie  best  place  for  establishing  a  colony,  would  either 
be  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames,  or  in  the  territory  adjoining  to 
the  Bay  of  Islands.  Each  of  these  places  possesses  the  advan- 
tage of  an  excellent  harbour.  By  means  of  the  river,  settlements 
might  be  extended,  and  a  communication  established  with  the 
inland  parts  of  the  country.  Vessels  might  likewise  be  built  of 
the  fine  timber  which  is  everywhere  to  be  met  with,  at  very 
little  trouble  and  expense. 

But  I  am  in  danger  of  forgetting  myself,  and  of  running  into 
a  detail  which  may  be  thought  rat!  or  ;  *  exceed  the  intentions 
of  the  present  narrative.  It  is  dL:k'uli,  to  restrain  the  pen, 
when  such  a  variety  of  curious  and  entertaining  matter  lies  before 
it ;  and  I  must  entreat  the  indulgence  of  my  readers  while  I 
mention  two  or  three  farther  particulars.  One  circumstance 
peculiarly  worthy  of  notice,  is  the  perfect  and  uninterrupted 
health  of  the  inhabitants  of  New  Zealand.  In  all  the  visits  made 
to  their  towns,  where  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  crowded 
about  our  voyagers,  they  never  observed  a  single  person  who 
appeared  to  have  any  bodily  complaint ;  nor  among  the  numbers 
that  were  seen  naked,  was  o.'ce  perceived  the  slightest  eruption 
upon  the  skin,  or  the  least  mark  which  indicated  that  such  an 
eruption  had  formerly  existed.  Another  proof  of  the  health  of 
these  people,  is  the  facility  with  which  the  wounds  they  at  any 
time  recei<re  are  healed.  In  the  man  who  had  been  shot  with  a 
musket-ball  throught  the  fleshy  part  of  his  arm,  the  wound 
seemed  to  be  so  well  digested,  and  in  so  fair  a  way  of  being  per- 
fectly healed,  that  if  Mr.  Cook  had  not  known  that  no  applica 


(  ^., 


if    ;; 


ii^ 


.k 


I 


.« 


I  m 


X-  ■ 


w 


m 


S8 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


I  :'i 


i  ;> 


P  ;:r 


tion  had  be«n  made  to  it,  he  declared  that  he  shoald  ccrtainlj 
have  inquired,  with  a  very  interested  curiosity,  after  the  vulner- 
ary herbs  and  surgical  art  of  the  country.  An  additional  evi- 
dence of  human  nature's  being  untainted  with  disease  in  New 
Zealand,  is  the  great  number  of  old  men  with  whom  it  abounds. 
Many  of  them,  by  the  loss  of  their  hair  and  teeth,  appeared  to 
be  very  ancient,  and  yet  none  of  them  were  decrepit.  Although 
they  were  not  equal  to  the  young  in  muscular  strength,  they  did 
not  come  in  the  least  behind  them  with  regard  to  cheerfulness 
and  vivacity.  Water,  as  far  as  our  navigators  could  discover,  ia 
the  universal  and  only  liquor  of  the  New  Zealanders.  It  is 
greatly  to  be  wished  that  their  happiness  in  this  respect  may 
never  be  destroyed  by  such  a  connexion  with  the  European 
nations,  as  shall  introduce  that  fondness  for  spirituous  liquors 
which  hath  been  so  fatal  to  the  Indians  of  North  America. 

From  the  observations  which  Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  friends 
made  on  the  people  of  New  Zealand,  and  from  the  similitude 
which  was  discerned  between  them  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
South  Sea  Islands,  a  strong  proof  arose  that  both  of  them  had 
one  common  origin  ;  and  this  proof  was  rendered  indubitable  by 
t'At  conformity  of  their  language.  When  Tupia  addressed  him- 
self to  the  natives  of  Eaheinomauwe  and  Poenamraoo,  he  was 
perfectly  understood.  Indeed,  it  did  not  appear  that  the  lan- 
guage of  Otaheite  differed  more  from  that  of  New  Zealand,  thaa 
the  language  of  the  two  islands  into  which  it  is  divided,  did  from 
each  other. 

Hitherto  the  navigation  of  Lieutenant  Cook  had  been  un- 
favourable to  the  notion  of  a  southern  continent  :  having  swept 
away  at  least  three-fourth?  of  the  positions  npon  which  that  no- 
tion had  been  founded.  The  track  of  the  Endeavour  had 
demonstrated  that  the  land  seen  by  Tasraan,  Juan  Fernaudes, 
Hcrmite,  the  commander  of  a  Dutch  squadron,  Quiroa,  and 
Roggeweiu,  was  not,  as  they  had  supposed,  part  of  such  a  con- 
jnect.     It  had  also  totally  destroyed  the  theoretical  argimeuts 


FIRST   yOTAOE. 


S9 


in  favour  of  a  southern  continent,  whlcl  had  been  drawn  from 
the  necessity  of  It  to  preserve  an  equilibrium  between  the  two 
hemispheres.  As,  however,  Mr.  Cook's  discoveries,  so  far  as  he 
had  already  proceeded,  extended  only  to  the  northward  of  forty 
degrees,  south  latitnde,  he  could  not,  therefore,  give  an  opinion 
concerning  what  land  might  lie  farther  to  the  southward.  This 
was  a  matter,  therefore,  which  he  earnestly  wished  to  be  exam- 
ined ;  and  to  him  was,  at  length,  reserved  the  honor,  as  we  shall 
hereafter  see,  of  putting  a  final  end  to  the  question. 

On  Saturday,  the  31st  of  March,  our  commander  sailed  from 
Cape  Farewell,  in  New  Zealand,  and  pursued  his  voyage  to  the 
westward.  New  Holland,  or  as  it  is  now  called.  New  South 
Wales,  came  in  sight  on  the  19th  of  April ;  and  on  the  28th  of 
that  month  the  ship  anchored  in  Botany  Bay.  On  the  preced- 
ing day,  in  consequence  of  its  falling  calm  when  the  vessel  was 
not  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  shore,  and  within  some 
breakers,  our  navigators  had  been  in  a  very  disagreeable  situa- 
tion ;  but  happily  a  light  breeze  had  sprung  from  the  land,  and 
carried  them  out  of  danger. 

In  the  afternoon  the  boats  were  manned,  and  Lieutenant  Cook 
and  his  friends,  having  Tupia  of  their  party,  set  out  from  the 
Endeavour.  They  intended  to  land  where  they  had  seen  some 
Indians,  and  began  to  hope  that,  as  these  Indians  had  paid  no 
regard  to  the  ship  when  she  came  into  the  bay,  they  would  be 
as  inattentive  to  the  advances  of  the  English  towards  the  shore. 
In  this,  however,  the  gentlemen  were  disappointed,  for  as  soon 
fts  they  approached  the  rocks,  two  of  the  men  came  down  upon 
them  to  dispute  their  landing,  and  the  rest  ran  away.  These 
champions,  who  were  armed  with  lances  about  ten  feet  long;, 
called  to  our  navigators  in  a  very  loud  tone,  and  in  a  harsh  dis- 
sonant language,  of  which  even  Tupia  did  not  understand  a 
single  word.  At  the  same  time,  they  brandished  their  weapons, 
and  seemed  resolved  to  defend  their  coast  to  the  utmost,  though 
they  were  but  two  to  forty.     The  lieutenant,  who  could  not  but 


tV 


A         I 


;»i 


' .    ! ' 

:i?|j 

m 

•  '  '     i 

ill 

M 

.."iluil 

■'•''J 


rf.;i 


i/H;- 


I  11 


\'S\ 


nu 


90 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


admire  their  courage,  and  who  was  unwilling  that  hoslilitiea 
should  fommeneo  with  8uch  inequality  of  force  on  their  side,  or- 
dered  his  boat  to  lie  upon  her  oars.  lie  and  the  other  gentlemen 
then  parleyed  with  them  by  signs,  and,  to  obtain  their  good  will, 
be  threw  them  nails,  beads,  and  several  trifles  besides,  with  which 
they  appeared  to  be  well  pleased.  After  this  our  commander 
endeuYuured  to  make  them  understand  that  he  wanted  water, 
and  attempted  to  convince  them,  by  all  the  methods  in  his  power, 
that  he  had  no  injurious  design  against  them.  Being  willing  to 
interpret  the  waving  of  their  hands  as  an  invitation  to  proceed, 
the  boat  put  in  to  the  shore  ;  but  no  sooner  was  this  perceived, 
than  it  was  opposed  by  the  two  Indians,  one  of  whom  seemed  to 
be  a  youth  about  nineteen  or  twenty  years  old,  and  the  other  a 
man  of  middle  age.  The  only  resource  now  left  for  Mr.  Cook, 
was  to  fire  a  musket  between  them,  which  being  done,  the 
youngest  of  them  brought  a  bundle  of  lances  on  the  rock,  but, 
recollecting  himself  in  an  instant,  he  snatched  them  up  again  in 
great  haste.  A  stone  was  thrown  at  the  English,  upon  which 
the  lieutenant  ordered  a  musket  to  be  fired  with  small  shot. 
This  struck  the  eldest  upon  the  legs,  and  he  immediately  ran  to 
one  of  the  houses,  which  was  at  about  a  hundred  yards'  distance. 
Mr.  Cook,  who  now  hoped  that  the  contest  was  over,  instantly 
landed  with  his  party  ;  but  they  had  scarcely  quitted  the  boat 
when  the  Indian  returned,  having  only  left  the  rock  to  fetch  a 
shield  or  target  for  his  defence.  As  soon  as  he  came  up,  he  and 
his  comrade  threw  each  of  them  a  lance  in  the  midst  of  our  peo- 
ple, but  happily  without  hurting  a  single  person.  At  the  firing 
of  a  third  musket,  one  of  the  two  men  darted  another  lance,  and 
then  both  of  them  ran  away,  ifter  this  the  gentlemen  repaired 
to  the  huts,  and  threv  into  the  house  where  the  children  were 
some  beads,  ribands,  pieces  of  cloth,  and  other  presents.  These 
they  hoped  would  procure  them  the  good  will  of  the  inhabitants. 
When,  however,  the  lieutenant  and  his  companions  returned  the 
neit  day,  they  had  the  mortification  of  finding  that  the  beads 


FIRST   TOTAOB. 


il 


and  ribands  wbicli  they  had  left  tlio  night  before,  bad  not  been 
removed  from  tiieir  places,  and  that  not  an  Indian  was  to  be 
Been. 

Several  of  the  natives  of  the  country  came  in  sight  on  the 
80tb,  but  they  could  not  be  engaged  to  begin  an  intercourse  with 
our  people.  They  approached  within  a  certain  distance  of  them, 
and,  after  shouting  several  times,  went  back  into  the  woods. 
Having  done  this  once  more,  Mr.  Cook  followed  them  himself, 
alone  and  unarmed,  a  considerable  way  along  the  shore,  but 
without  prevailing  upon  them  to  stop. 

On  the  first  of  May,  he  resolved  to  make  an  excursion  into  the 
country.  Accordingly,  our  commander,  Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander, 
and  seven  others,  all  of  them  properly  accoutred  for  the  expedi- 
tion, set  out,  and  repaired  first  to  the  huts  near  the  watering 
place,  whither  some  of  the  Indians  continued  every  day  to  resort. 
Though  the  little  presents  which  had  been  left  there  before  had 
not  yet  been  taken  away,  our  gentlemen  added  others  of  still 
greater  value,  consisting  of  cloth,  beads,  combs,  and  looking- 
glasses.  After  this  they  went  up  into  the  country,  the  face  of 
which  is  finely  diversified  by  wood  and  lawn.  The  soil  they 
found  to  be  either  swamp  or  light  sand.* 

In  cultivating  the  ground,  there  would  be  no  obstruction  from 
the  trees,  which  are  tall,  straight,  and  without  underwood,  and 
stand  at  a  sufficient  distance  from  each  other.  Between  the  trees, 
the  land  is  abundantly  covered  with  grass.  Our  voyagers  saw 
many  houses  of  the  inhabitants,  but  met  with  only  one  of  the 
people,  who  ran  away  as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  English.  At 
every  place  where  they  went  they  left  presents,  hoping  that  at 
length  they  might  procure  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the 
Indians.  They  perceived  some  traces  of  animals  ;  and  the  trees 
over  their  heads  abounded  with  birds  of  various  kinds,  among 


.Hi 

I.  !  ■  Y 


?(' 


1 


*  In  a  part  of  the  country  that  was  afterwards  examined,  the  soil  was  found  to  be 
much  richer;  being  a  deep  black  nioa'4,  which  the  lieutenant  thought  very  fit  for  the 
production  of  grain  of  any  kind. 


m 


:! 


mil 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


M 

I  • « 


^  lis  iio 


1.8 


1.25      1.4   III  1.6 

.4 

6" 

► 

Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


lA 


6^ 


92 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


■vS?'' 


whicl  were  many  of  exquisite  beauty.  Loriquets  and  cockatoos, 
in  particnlai,  were  so  numerous,  that  they  flew  :n  flocks  of  seve* 
ral  scores  together. 

While  the  lieutenant  and  his  friends  were  on  this  excursion, 
Mr.  Gore,  who  had  been  sent  out  in  the  morning  to  dredge  for 
oysters,  having  performed  that  service,  dismissed  his  boat,  and 
taking  a  midshipman  with  him,  set  out  to  join  the  waterers  by 
land.  In  his  way,  he  fell  in  with  a  body  of  two-and-twenty 
Indians,  who  followed  him,  and  were  often  at  no  greater  distance 
than  that  of  twenty  yards.  When  he  perceived  them  so  near, 
he  stopped  and  faced  about,  upon  which  they  likewise  stopped  ; 
and  when  he  went  on  again  they  continued  their  pursuit.  But 
though  they  were  all  armed  with  lances,  they  did  not  attack  Mr. 
Gore  ;  so  that  he  and  the  midshipman  got  in  safety  to  the  water- 
ino^-place.  When  the  natives  came  in  sight  of  the  main  body  of 
the  English,  they  halted  at  about  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  and  stood  still.  By  this  Mr.  Monkhouse  and  two  or  three  of 
the  waterers  were  encouraged  to  march  up  to  them  ;  but  seeing 
the  Indians  keep  their  ground,  they  were  seized  with  a  sudden 
fear,  which  is  not  uncommon  to  the  rash  and  foolhardy,  and 
made  a  hasty  retreat.  This  step  increased  the  danger  which  it 
was  intended  to  avoid.  Four  of  the  Indians  immediately  ran  for- 
ward and  discharged  their  lances  at  the  fugitives,  with  such  force 
that  they  went  beyond  them.  Our  people  recovering  their  spir- 
its, stopped  to  collect  the  lances,  upon  which  the  natives,  in  thtir 
turn,  began  to  retire.  At  this  time  Mr.  Cook  came  up,  with  Mr. 
Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and  Tupia  ;  and  being  desirous  of  convinc- 
ing the  Indians  that  they  were  neither  afraid  of  them,  nor 
designed  to  do  them  any  injury,  they  advanced  towards  them, 
endeavouring  by  signs  of  expostulation  and  entreaty,  to  engage 
them  to  an  intercourse,  but  without  effect. 

From  the  boldness  which  the  natives  discovered  on  the  first 
landing  of  our  voyagers,  and  the  terror  that  afterwards  seized 
them  at  the  sight  of  the  English,  it  appears  that  they  were  suffi' 


and 


FIRST  VOYAGE. 


9a 


ciently  iutimidated  by  our  fire-arms.  There  was  not,  indeed,  the 
least  reason  to  believe  that  any  of  them  had  been  mach  hnrt  by 
the  small  shot  which  had  been  fired  at  them  when  they  attacked 
our  people  on  their  coming  out  of  the  boat.  Nevertheless,  they 
had  probably  seen,  from  their  lurking-places,  the  effects  which 
the  muskets  had  upon  birds.  Tupia,  who  was  become  a 
good  marksman,  frequently  strayed  abroad  to  shoot  parrots  ;  and 
while  he  was  thus  employed,  he  once  met  with  nine  Indians,  who, 
as  soon  as  they  perceived  that  he  saw  them,  ran  from  him  in 
great  alarm  and  confusion. 

While,  on  the  8d  of  May,  Mr.  Banks  was  gathering  plants 
near  the  watering-place,  Lieutenant  Cook  went  with  Dr.  Solander 
and  Mr.  Moiikhouse  to  the  head  of  the  bay,  for  the  purpose  of 
examining  that  part  of  the  country,  and  of  making  further 
attempts  to  form  some  connections  with  the  natives.  In  this 
excursion  they  acquired  additional  knowledge  concerning  the 
nature  of  the  soil,  and  its  capacities  for  cultivation,  but  had  no 
juccess  in  their  endeavours  to  engage  the  inhabitants  in  coming 
'.0  a  friendly  intercourse.  Several  parties  that  were  sent  into  the 
jonntry  on  the  next  day,  with  the  same  view,  were  equally 
ansuccessful.  In  the  afternoon  our  commander  himself,  with  a 
number  of  attendants,  made  an  excursion  to  the  north  shore, 
which  he  found  to  be  without  wood,  and  to  resemble  in  soma 
degree,  our  moors  in  England.  The  surface  of  the  ground  was, 
however,  covered  with  a  thin  brush  of  plants,  rising  to  about  the 
height  of  the  knee.  Near  the  coast  the  hills  are  low,  but  there 
are  others  behind  them,  which  gradually  ascend  to  a  considerabU 
distance,  and  are  intersected  with  marshes  and  morasses.  Among 
the  articles  of  fish  which  at  different  times  wore  caught,  wer* 
large  stingrays.  One  of  them,  when  his  entrails  weie  take<i  out, 
weighed  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  pouuJs. 

It  was  upon  account  of  the  great  qaantity  of  plants  which 
Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander  collected  in  this  place,  that  Lieuten- 
ant Cook  was  induced  to  give  it  the  name  of  Botany  Bay.     It  !& 


''11 


,:i 


ilH 


iiU 


iM 


■It 


■■h* 


m-M 


■.'■m 


ii:y 


.,1 


'^1 


94 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


I 


situated  in  the  latitude  of  34°  south,  and  in  the  longitude  of  208" 
81'  west ;  and  affords  a  capacious,  safe,  and  convenient  shelter 
for  shipping.  The  Endeavour  anchored  near  the  south  shore, 
about  a  mile  within  the  entrance,  for  the  convenience  of  sailing 
with  a  southerly  wind,  and  because  the  lieutenant  thought  it  the 
best  situation  for  watering.  But  afterwards  he  found  a  very  fine 
stream  on  the  north  shore,  where  was  a  sandy  cove,  in  which  a 
ship  might  lie  almost  land-locked,  and  procure  wood  and  water 
in  the  greatest  abundance.  Though  wood  is  everywhere  plen- 
tiful, our  commander  saw  only  two  species  of  it  that  could  be 
considered  as  timber.  Not  only  the  inhabitants  who  were  first 
discovered,  but  all  who  afterwards  came  in  sight,  were  entirely 
naked.  Of  their  mode  of  life,  our  voyagers  could  know  but  little, 
as  not  the  least  connection  could  be  formed  with  them  ;  but  it 
did  not  appear  that  they  were  numerous,  or  that  they  lived  in 
societies.  They  seemed,  like  other  animals,  to  be  scattered 
about  along  the  coast,  and  in  the  woods.  Not  a  single  article 
was  touched  by  them  of  all  that  were  left  at  their  huts,  or  at  the 
places  which  they  frequented  :  so  little  sense  had  they  of  those 
small  conveniences  and  ornaments,  which  are  generally  very 
alluring  to  the  uncivilized  tribes  of  the  globe.  During  Mr. 
Cook's  stay  at  this  place,  he  caused  the  English  colours  to  be  dis- 
played every  day  on  shore,  and  took  care  that  the  ship's  name, 
and  the  date  of  the  year,  should  be  inscribed  upon  one  of  the 
trees  near  the  watering-place. 

At  day-break,  on  Sunday  the  6th  of  May,  our  navigators  sailed 
from  Botany  Bay  ;  and  as  they  proceeded  on  their  voyage,  the 
lieutenant  gave  the  names  that  are  indicated  upon  the  map  to 
the  bays,  capes,  points,  and  remarkable  hills  which  successively 
appeared  in  sight.  On  the  14th,  as  the  Endeavour  advanced 
to  the  northward,  being  then  in  latitude  30°  22'  south,  and 
longitude  206°  39'  west,  the  land  gradually  increased  in 
height,  so  that  it  may  be  called  a  hilly  country.  Between 
this  latitude  and  Botany  Bay,  it  exhibits  a  pleasing  variety  of 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


95 


ridgea,  hills,  valleys,  and  plains,  all  clothed  with  wood,  oi  the 
game  appearance  with  that  which  has  been  mentioned  before. 
The  land  near  the  shore  is  in  general  low  and  sandy,  excepting 
the  points,  which  are  rocky,  and  over  many  of  which  are  high 
hills,  that,  at  their  first  rising  out  of  the  water,  have  the  sem- 
blance of  islands.  On  the  next  day,  the  vessel  being  about  a 
league  from  the  shore,  our  voyagers  discovered  smoke  in  many 
places,  and  having  recourse  to  their  glasses,  they  saw  about 
twenty  of  the  natives,  who  had  each  of  them  a  large  bundle  upon 
his  back.  The  bundles  our  people  conjectured  to  be  palm  leaves 
for  covering  the  houses  of  the  Indians,  and  continued  to  observe 
them  above  an  hour,  during  which  they  walked  upon  the  beach, 
and  up  a  path  that  led  over  a  hill  of  gentle  ascent.  It  was 
remarkable,  that  not  one  of  them  was  seen  to  stop  and  look 
towards  the  Endeavour.  They  marched  along  without  the  least 
apparent  emotion  either  of  curiosity  or  surprise,  though  it  was 
impossible  that  they  should  not  have  discerned  the  ship,  by  some 
casual  glance,  as  they  went  along  the  shore,  and  though  she 
must  have  been  the  most  stupendous  and  unaccountable  object 
they  had  ever  beheld. 

While,  on  the  Itth,  our  navigators  were  in  a  bay,  to  which 
Lieutenant  Cook  had  given  the  name  of  Moreton's  Bay,  and  at  a 
place  where  the  land  was  not  at  that  time  visible,  some  on  board, 
having  observed  that  the  sea  looked  paler  than  usual,  were  of 
opinion  that  the  bottom  of  the  bay  opened  into  a  river.  The 
lieutenant  was  sensible  that  there  was  no  real  ground  for  this 
supposition.  As  the  Endeavour  had  here  thirty-four  fathom 
water,  and  a  fine  sandy  bottom,  these  circumstances  alone  were 
BuflBcient  to  produce  the  change  which  had  been  noticed  in  the 
colour  of  the  sea.  Nor  was  it  by  any  means  necessary  to  sup- 
pose a  river,  in  order  to  account  for  the  land  at  the  bottom  of 
the  bay  not  being  visible.  If  the  land  there  was  as  low  as  it 
had  been  experienced  to  be  in  a  hundred  other  parts  of  the 
coast,  it  would  be  'mpossible  to  see  it  from  the  station  of  the 


•  in. 


4'j 


"■■fg 


1 


'1 

■ 


I'M 


^1 


i 


! 


It  I 


n 


CAPTAIN   COOKS 


ship.  Our  commander  would,  however,  have  brought  the  mat- 
ter to  the  test  of  experiment,  if  the  wind  had  been  favourable  to 
Buch  a  purpose.  Should  any  future  navigator  be  disposed  to 
determine  the  question,  whether  there  is  or  is  not  a  river  in 
this  place,  Mr.  Cook  has  taken  care  to  leave  the  best  directions 
for  findicg  its  situation.  ^ 

On  the  22d,  as  our  voyagers  were  pursuing  their  course  from 
Harvey's  Bay,  they  discovered  with  their  glasses  that  the  land 
was  covered  with  palm-nut  trees,  which  they  had  not  seen  from 
the  time  of  their  leaving  the  islands  within  the  tropic.  They 
saw  also  two  men  walking  along  the  shore,  who  paid  them  as 
little  attention  as  they  had  met  with  on  former  occasions.  At 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  this  day,  the  ship  came  to  an 
anchor  in  five  fathom,  with  a  fine  sandy  bottom.  Early  in  the 
morning  of  the  next  day,  the  lieutenant,  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  the  other  gentlemen,  Tupia,  and  a  party  of 
men,  went  on  shore,  in  order  to  examine  the  country.  The  wind 
blew  fresh,  and  the  weather  was  so  cold,  that,  being  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  land,  they  took  their  cloaks  as  a  necessary 
equipment  for  the  voyage.  When  they  landed,  they  found  a 
channel  leading  into  a  large  lagoon.  Both  the  channel  and 
the  lagoon  were  examined  by  our  commander  with  his  usual 
accuracy.  There  is  in  the  place  a  small  river  of  fresh  water, 
and  room  for  a  few  ships  to  lie  in  great  security.  Near  the 
lagoon  grows  the  true  mangrove,  such  as  exists  in  the  West 
India  islands,  and  the  first  of  the  kind  that  had  been  yet  met  with 
by  our  navigators.  Among  the  shoals  and  sand  banks  of  the 
coast,  they  saw  many  large  birds,  and  some  in  particular  of  the 
same  kind  which  they  had  seen  in  Botany  Bay.  These  they 
judged  to  be  pelicans,  but  they  were  so  shy  as  never  to  come 
within  reach  of  a  musket.  On  the  shore  was  found  a  species  of 
the  bustard,  one  of  which  was  shot,  that  was  equal  in  size  to  a 
turkey,  weighing  seventeen  pounds  and  a  half.  All  the  gentle- 
men agreed  that  this  was  the  best  bird  they  had  eaten  since 


FIRST   VOTAOE. 


97 


they  left  England  ;  and  in  honour  of  it  they  called  the  inlet 
Bustard  Bay.  Upon  the  mud  banks,  and  under  the  mangrovef, 
were  innumerable  oysters  of  various  kinds,  and  among  others  the 
hammer  oyster,  with  a  large  proportion  of  small  pearl  oysters. 
If  in  deeper  water  there  should  be  equal  plenty  of  such  oysters 
at  their  full  growth,  Mr.  Cook  was  of  opinion  that  a  pearl  fishery 
might  be  established  here  to  very  great  advantage. 

The  people  who  were  left  on  board  the  ship  asserted  that, 
while  the  gentlemen  were  in  the  woods,  about  twenty  of  the 
natives  came  down  to  the  beach,  abreast  of  the  Endeavour,  and, 
after  having  looked  at  her  for  some  time,  went  away.  Not  a 
single  Indian  was  seen  by  the  gentlemen  themselves,  though  they 
found  various  proofs,  in  smote,  fires,  and  the  fragments  of  recent 
meals,  that  the  country  was  inhabited.  The  place  seemed  to 
be  much  trodden,  and  yet  not  a  house,  or  the  remains  of  a  house, 
could  be  discerned.  Hence,  the  lieutenant  and  his  friends  were 
disposed  to  believe  that  the  people  were  destitute  of  dwellings, 
as  well  as  of  clothes  ;  and  that,  like  the  other  commoners  of 
nature,  they  spent  their  nights  in  the  open  air.  Tupia  himself 
was  struck  with  their  apparently  unhappy  condition,  and  shaking 
his  head  with  an  air  of  superiority  and  compassion,  said  that 
they  were  "  taata  enos,"  poor  wretches. 

On  the  25th,  our  voyagers,  at  the  distance  of  one  mile  from 
the  land,  were  abreast  of  a  point,  which  Mr.  Cook  found  to  lie 
directly  under  the  tropic  of  Capricorn  ;  and  for  this  reason  he 
called  it  Cape  Capricorn.  In  the  night  of  the  next  day,  when 
the  ship  had  anchored  at  a  place  which  was  distant  four  leagues 
from  Cape  Capricorn,  the  tide  rose  and  fell  near  seven  feet ;  and 
the  flood  set  to  the  westward,  and  the  ebb  to  the  eastwarc 
This  circumstance  was  just  the  reverse  of  what  had  been  experi- 
enced when  the  Endeavour  was  at  anchor  to  the  eastward  of 
Bustard  Bay. 

While  our  people  were  under  sail,  on  the  26th,  and  were  snr- 
Tounded  with  islands,  which  lay  at  different  distances  from  the 

5 


KbBH 

■  "'i' 

h'MM 

•   1;' 

I    1 , 

\vjH| 

■      '  i 

;  ^  f^Tlj 

i ' 

'Hb( 

ft  -jKfj 

1   '. 

VffiB 

CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


I 


main  land,  they  suddenly  fell  into  three  fathom  of  water.  Upon 
this  the  lieutenant  anchored,  and  sent  away  the  master  to  sound 
a  channel,  which  lay  between  the  northernmost  island  and  the 
main.  Though  the  channel  appeared  to  have  a  considerable 
breadth,  our  commander  suspected  it  to  be  shallow,  and  such 
was  in  fact  the  case.  The  master  reported,  at  his  return, 
that  he  had  only  two  fathom  and  a  half  in  many  places  ;  and 
where  the  vessel  lay  at  anchor,  she  had  only  sixteen  feet,  which 
was  not  two  feet  more  than  she  drew.  Mr.  Banks,  who,  while 
the  master  was  sounding  the  channel,  tried  to  fish  from  the  cabin 
window  with  hook  and  Hue,  was  successful  in  catching  two  sorts 
of  crabs,  both  of  them  such  as  our  navigators  had  not  seen  be- 
fore. One  of  them  was  adorned  with  a  most  beautiful  blue,  in 
every  respect  equal  to  the  ultramarine.  With  this  blue  all  his 
claws  and  joints  were  deeply  tinged  ;  while  the  under  part  of 
him  was  white,  and  so  exquisitely  polished,  that  in  colour  and 
brightness  it  bore  an  exact  resemblance  to  the  white  of  old 
china.  The  other  crab  was  also  marked,  though  somewhat  more 
sparingly,  with  the  ultramarine  on  his  joints  and  his  toes,  and  on 
his  back  were  three  brown  spots  of  a  singular  appearance. 

Early  the  next  morning,  Lieutenant  Cook,  having  found  the 
passage  between  the  islands,  sailed  to  the  northward,  and,  on  the 
evening  of  the  succeeding  day,  anchored  at  about  two  miles  dis- 
tance from  the  main.  At  this  time  a  great  number  of  islands, 
lying  a  long  way  without  the  ship,  were  in  sight.  On  the  29th 
the  lieutenant  sent  away  the  master  with  two  boats  to  sound 
the  entrance  of  an  inlet,  which  lay  to  the  west,  and  into  which 
he  intended  to  go  with  the  vessel,  that  he  might  wait  a  few  days 
for  the  moon's  increase,  and  have  an  opportunity  of  examining 
the  country.  As  the  tide  was  observed  to  ebb  and  flow  con- 
siderably, when  the  Endeavour  had  anchored  within  the  inlet, 
our  commander  judged  it  to  be  a  river,  that  might  run  pretty 
far  up  into  land.  Thinking  that  this  might  afford  a  commodious 
situation  for  laying  the  ship  ashore,  and  cleaning  her  bottom,  he 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


99 


landed  wi:li  the  master,  iu  search  of  a  proper  place  for  the  pur- 
pose. He  was  accompanied  in  the  excursion  by  Mr  Banks  and 
Dr.  Solander  ;  and  they  found  walking  exceedingly  troublesome, 
in  consequence  of  the  ground's  being  covered  with  a  kind  of 
grass,  the  seeds  of  which  were  very  sharp  and  bearded.  When- 
ever these  seeds  stuck  into  their  clothes,  which  happened  at 
every  step,  they  worked  forward  by  means  of  the  beard,  till  they 
got  at  the  flesh.  Another  disagreeable  circumstance  was,  that 
the  gentlemen  were  incessantly  tormented  with  the  stings  of  a 
cloud  of  mosquitoes.  They  soon  met  with  several  places  were 
the  ship  might  conveniently  be  laid  ashore,  but  were  much 
disappointed  in  not  being  able  to  find  any  fresh  water.  In  pro- 
ceeding up  the  country  they  found  gum  trees,  the  gum  upon 
which  existed  only  in  very  small  quantities.  Gum  trees  of  a 
similar  kind,  and  as  little  productive,  had  occurred  in  other  parts 
of  the  coast  of  New  South  Wales.  Upon  the  branches  of  the 
trees  were  ants'  nests,  made  of  clay,  as  big  as  a  bushel.  The 
ants  themselves,  by  which  the  nests  were  inhabited,  were  small, 
and  their  bodies  white.  Upon  another  species  of  the  gum  tree, 
was  found  a  small  black  ant,  which  perforated  all  the  twigs, 
and,  having  worked  out  the  pith,  occupied  the  pipe  in  which  it 
had  been  contained.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  parts  in  which 
these  insects,  to  an  amazing  number,  had  formed  a  lodgment, 
bore  leaves  and  flowers,  and  appeared  to  be  entirely  in  a  flourish* 
ing  state.  Butterflies  were  found  in  such  multitudes,  that  the 
account  of  them  seems  almost  to  be  incredible.  The  air  was  so 
crowded  with  them,  for  the  space  of  three  or  four  acres,  that 
millions  might  be  seen  in  every  direction  ;  and  the  branches  and 
twigs  of  the  trees  were  at  the  same  time  covered  with  others 
that  were  not  upon  the  wing.  A  small  fish  of  a  singular  kind 
was  likewise  met  with  in  this  place.  Its  size  was  about  that  of 
a  minnow,  and  it  had  two  very  strong  breast-fins.  It  was  found 
in  places  which  were  quite  dry,  and  where  it  might  be  supposed 
that  it  had  been  left  by  the  tide  ;  and  yet  it  did  not  appear  to 


o 


m 


100 


CAPTAIN   COOK  9 


I 


I 


have  become  languid  from  that  circumstance  :  for  when  it  was 
approached,  it  leaped  away  as  nimbly  as  a  frog.  Indeed  it  did 
not  seem  to  prefer  water  to  land. 

Though  the  curiosity  of  Mr.  Cook  and  his  friends  was  grati- 
fied by  the  sight  of  these  various  objects,  they  were  disappoint- 
ed in  the  attainment  of  their  main  purpose,  the  discovery  of 
fresh  water  ;  and  a  second  excursion,  which  was  made  by  them 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  was  equally  unsuccessful. 
The  failure  of  the  lieutenaut's  hopes  determined  him  to  malco 
but  a  short  stay  in  the  place.  Having,  however,  observed  from 
an  eminence,  that  the  inlet  penetrated  a  considerable  way  into 
the  country,  he  formed  a  resolution  of  tracing  it  in  the  morn- 
ing. Accordingly,  at  sunrise,  on  Wednesday,  the  30th  of  May, 
he  went  on  shore,  and  took  a  view  of  the  coast  and  the  islands 
that  lie  off  it,  with  their  bearings.  For  this  purpose  he  had 
with  him,  an  azimuth  compass  ;  but  he  found  that  the  needle 
differed  very  considerably  in  its  position,  even  to  thirty  degrees  ; 
the  variation  being  in  some  places  more,  in  others  less.  Once 
the  needle  varied  from  itself  no  less  than  two  points  in  the  dis- 
tance of  fourteen  feet.  Mr.  Cook  having  taken  up  some  of  the 
loose  stones  which  lay  upon  the  ground,  applied  them  to  the 
needle,  but  they  produced  no  effect ;  whence  he  concluded  that 
in  the  hills  there  was  iron  ore,  traces  of  which  he  had  re- 
marked both  here  and  in  the  neighbouring  parts.  After  he  had 
made  his  observations  upon  the  hill  he  proceeded  with  Dr. 
Solander  up  the  inlet.  He  set  out  with  the  first  of  the  flood, 
and  had  advanced  above  eight  leagues,  long  before  it  was  high 
water.  The  breadth  of  the  inlet,  thus  far,  was  from  two  to  fiv« 
miles,  upon  a  direction  southwest  by  south  ;  but  here  it  opened 
every  way,  and  formed  a  large  lake,  which  to  the  northwest 
communicated  with  the  sea.  Our  commander  not  only  saw  the 
sea  in  this  direction,  but  found  the  tide  of  flood  coming  strongly 
in  from  that  point.  He  observed  also  an  arm  of  this  lake  ex- 
tending to  the  eastward.    Hence  he  thought  it  not  improbable^ 


FIK8T    VOVAGK. 


10\ 


tliat  it  might  cominuuicutc  with  the  sea  in  the  bottom  of  the 
buy,  which  lies  to  the  wcstwurd  of  tlie  Cope  that  on  the  chart 
is  designated  by  the  name  of  Cape  Towushcnd.  On  the  south 
side  of  the  lalce  is  a  ridge  of  hills  which  the  lieutenant  was  de- 
sirous of  climbing.  As  however  it  was  high  water,  and  the  day 
was  far  spent ;  and  as  the  weather,  in  particular,  was  dark  and 
rainy,  he  was  afraid  of  being  bewildered  among  the  shoals  in  the 
night,  and  therefore  was  obliged  to  give  up  his  inclination  and  to 
make  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  ship.  Two  people  only  were 
seen  by  him,  who  followed  the  boat  along  the  shore  a  good  way 
at  some  distance  ;  but  he  could  not  prudently  wait  for  them,  as 
the  tide  run  strongly  in  his  favour.  Several  fires  in  one  direc- 
tion, and  smoke  in  another,  exhibited  farther  proofs  of  the 
country's  being  in  a  certain  degree  inhabited. 

While  Mr.  Cook,  with  Dr.  Solander,  was  tracing  the  inlet,  Mr. 
Banks  and  a  party  with  him  engaged  in  a  separate  excursion,  in 
which  they  had  not  proceeded  far  within  land,  before  their 
course  was  obstructed  by  a  swamp  covered  with  mangroves. 
This  however  they  determined  to  pass,  and  having  done  it  with 
great  difficulty,  they  came  up  to  a  place  where  there  had  been 
four  small  fires,  near  to  which  lay  some  shells  and  bones  of  fish 
that  had  been  roasted.  Heaps  of  grass  were  also  found  lying 
together,  on  which  four  or  five  people  appeared  to  have  slept. 
Mr.  Gore,  in  another  place,  observed  the  track  of  a  large  ani- 
mal. Some  bustards  were  likewise  seen,  but  not  any  other  bird, 
excepting  a  few  beautiful  loriquets  of  the  same  kind  with  those 
which  had  been  noticed  in  Botany  Bay.  The  country  in  general, 
m  this  part  of  New  South  Wales,  appeared  sandy  and  barren, 
and  destitute  of  the  accommodations  which  could  fit  it  for  being 
possessed  by  settled  inhabitants.  From  the  ill-success  that  attend 
ed  the  searching  for  fresh  water,  Lieutenant  Cook  called  the 
inlet  in  which  the  ship  lay,  Thirsty  Sound.  No  refreshment  of 
any  other  sort  was  here  procured  by  our  voyagers. 

Our  commander,   not  having   a   single  inducement  to  stay 


'.><'V 


■r-l 


Mm-I 


m 


■m 


102 


CAPTAIN    COOK'b 


loiigor  in  tliis  place,  weighed  anchor  in  the  morning  of  tlio  Sist 
and  put  to  sua.  In  the  prosecution  of  the  voyage,  when  the  En- 
deavour  was  close  under  Cape  Upsturt,  the  variation  of  the 
needle,  at  sun-set,  on  the  4th  of  June,  was  9°  east,  and  at  sun* 
rise  the  next  day  it  was  no  moro  than  5°  35'.  Hence  the  lieu* 
tenant  concluded,  that  it  had  been  influenced  by  iron  ore,  or  by 
some  other  magnetical  matter  contained  under  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  our  navigators  saw  upon 
one  of  the  islands  what  had  the  appearance  of  cocoa-nut  trees  ; 
and  as  a  few  nuts  would  at  this  time  have  been  very  acceptable, 
Mr.  Cook  sent  Lieutenant  Hicks  ashore,  to  see  if  he  could  pro- 
cure any  refreshment.  He  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks  and 
Dr.  Solunder  ;  and  in  the  evening  the  gentlemen  returned,  with 
an  account  that  what  had  been  taken  for  cocoa-nut  trees  were  a 
small  kind  of  cabbage-palm,  and  that  excepting  about  fourteen 
or  fifteen  plants,  nothing  could  be  obtained  which  was  worth 
bringing  away.  On  the  8th,  when  the  Endeavour  was  in  the 
midst  of  a  cluster  of  small  islands,  our  voyagers  discerned  with 
their  glasses  upon  one  of  the  nearest  of  these  islands,  about 
thirty  of  the  natives,  men,  women  and  children,  all  standing  to- 
gether, and  looking  with  great  attention  at  the  ship.  This  was 
the  first  instance  of  curiosity  that  had  been  observed  among  the 
people  of  the  country.  The  present  Indian  spectators  were  en- 
tirely naked.  Their  hair  was  short,  and  their  complexion  the 
same  with  that  of  such  of  the  inhabitants  as  had  been  seen  before. 
In  navigating  the  coast  of  New  South  Wales,  where  the  sea 
in  all  parts  conceals  shoals,  which  suddenly  project  from  the 
shore  and  rocks  that  rise  abruptly  like  a  pyramid  from  the  bot- 
tom, our  commander  had  hitherto  conducted  his  vessel  in  safety, 
for  an  extent  of  two-and-twenty  degrees  of  latitude,  being  more 
than  one  thousand  three  hundred  miles.  But,  on  the  10th  of 
June,  as  he  was  pursuing  his  course  from  a  bay  to  which  he  had 
given  the  name  of  Trinity  Bay,  the  Endeavour  fell  into  a  situa- 
tion as  critical  and  dangerous  as  any  that  is  recorded  in  the 


FIU8T   VOYAOK. 


103 


nistory  of  navigatiou  ;  a  history  which  abounds  wi.h  pt-rihms 
adventures  and  almost  miraculous  escapes.  Our  voyagers  were 
now  near  the  latitude  assigned  to  the  islands  that  were  discovered 
by  Quiros,  and  which  without  suificicut  reason,  some  geogra* 
phcrs  have  thought  proper  to  join  to  this  land.  The  ship  had 
the  advantage  of  a  flno  breeze,  and  a  clear  moonlight  night  ; 
and  in  standing  ofif  from  six  till  near  nine  o'clock,  she  had  deep- 
ened her  water  from  fourteen  to  twenty-one  fathom.  But  while 
our  navigators  where  at  supper,  it  suddenly  shoaled,  and  they 
fell  iitto  twelve,  ten,  and  eight  fathom,  within  the  compass  of  a 
few  minutes.  Mr.  Cook  immediately  ordered  every  man  to  his 
station,  and  all  was  ready  to  put  about  and  come  to  an  anchor, 
when  deep  water  being  met  with  again  at  the  next  cast  of 
the  lead,  it  was  concluded  that  the  vessel  had  gone  over 
the  tail  of  the  shoals  which  had  been  seen  at  sun-set,  and  that 
the  danger  was  now  over.  This  idea  of  security  was  confirmed 
by  the  water's  continuing  to  deepen  to  twenty  and  twenty-one 
fathom,  so  that  the  gentlemen  left  the  deck  in  great  tranquillity, 
and  went  to  bed.  However,  a  little  before  eleven,  the  water 
shoaled  at  once  from  twenty  to  seventeen  fathom,  and  before  the 
lead  could  be  cast  again,  the  ship  struck,  and  remained  immova- 
ble, excepting  so  far  as  she  was  influenced  by  the  heaving  of  the 
surge,  that  beat  her  against  the  crags  of  the  rock  upon  which  she 
lay.  A  few  moments  brought  every  person  upon  deck,  with 
countenances  suited  to  the  horrors  of  the  situation.  As  our  peo- 
ple knew  from  the  breeze  which  they  had  in  the  evening  that 
they  could  not  be  very  near  the  shore,  there  was  too  much  rea- 
son to  conclude  that  they  were  upon  a  rock  of  coral,  which,  on 
account  of  the  sharpness  of  its  points,  and  the  roughness  of  iL« 
surface,  is  more  fatal  than  any  other.  On  examining  the  depth 
of  water  round  the  ship,  it  was  speedily  discovered,  that  the  mis- 
fortune of  our  voyagers  was  equal  to  their  apprehensions.  The 
vessel  had  been  lifted  over  a  ledge  of  the  rock,  and  lay  in  a  hol- 
low within  it,  in  some  places  of  which  hollow  there  were  from 


I 


::i 


.^ 


1 


ri^r 


i. 


^  /• 


II 


104: 


CAITAIN    COOK  8 


three  to  four  fathom,  and  in  others  not  so  many  feet  of  water 
to  complete  the  scene  of  distress,  it  appeared,  from  the  light  of 
the  moon,  that  the  sheathing  boards  from  the  bottom  of  the  ship 
were  floating  away  all  around  her,  and  at  last  her  false  keel ;  so 
That  every  moment  was  making  way  for  the  whole  company's 
being  swallowed  up  by  the  rushing  in  of  the  sea.  There  was  now 
no  chance  but  to  lighten  her,  and  the  opportunity  had  unhappily 
been  lost  of  doing  it  to  the  best  advantage  ;  for  as  the  Eudea- 
vour  had  gone  ashore  just  at  high  water,  and  by  this  time  it  had 
considerably  fallen,  she  would,  when  lightened,  be  but  in  the  same 
situation  as  at  first.  The  only  alleviation  of  this  circumstance 
was,  that  as  the  tide  ebbed,  the  vessel  settled  to  the  rocks,  and 
was  not  beaten  against  them  with  so  much  violence.  Our  people 
had,  indeed  some  hope  from  the  next  tide,  though  it  was  doubt- 
ful whether  the  ship  would  hold  together  so  long,  especially  as 
the  rock  kept  grating  part  of  her  bottom  with  such  force  as  to 
be  heard  in  the  fore  store-room.  No  effort,  however,  was  re- 
mitted from  despair  of  success.  That  no  time  might  be  lost,  the 
water  was  immediately  started  in  the  hold,  and  pumped  up  ;  six 
guns  being  all  that  were  upon  the  deck,  a  quantity  of  iron  and 
stone  ballast,  casks,  hoop-staves,  oil  jars,  decayed  stores,  and  a 
variety  of  things  besides,  were  thrown  overboard  with  the  ut- 
most expedition.  Every  one  exerted  himself,  not  only  without 
murmuring  and  discontent,  but  eveu  with  an  alacrity  which  al- 
most approached  to  cheerfulness.  So  sensible,  at  the  same  time, 
were  the  men,  of  the  awfulness  of  their  situation,  that  not  an  oath 
was  heard  among  them,  the  detestable  habit  of  profane  swearing 
being  instantly  subdued  by  the  dread  of  incurring  guilt  when  a 
peedy  death  was  in  view. 

While  Lieutenant  Cook  and  all  the  people  about  him  were 
thus  employed,  the  opening  of  the  morning  of  the  11th  of  June 
presented  them  with  a  fuller  prospect  of  their  danger.  The  land 
was  seen  by  them  at  about  eight  leagues'  distance,  without  any 
island  in  the  intermediate  space,  upon  which,  if  the  ship  had 


FIEST   VOYAGE. 


106 


r       ! 


gone  to  pieces,  they  might  have  been  set  ashore  by  the  boats, 
and  carried  thence  by  different  turns  to  the  main.  Gradually, 
however,  the  wind  died  away,  and,  early  in  the  forenoon,  it  be- 
came a  dead  calm  ;  a  circumstance  this,  peculiarly  happy  in  the 
order  of  Divine  Providence  ;  for  if  it  had  blown  hard,  the  vessel 
must  inevitably  have  been  destroyed.  High  water  being  ex% 
pected  at  eleven  in  the  morning,  and  everything  being  made 
ready  to  heave  her  off  if  she  should  float,  to  the  inexpressible 
surprise  and  concern  of  our  navigators,  so  much  did  the  day  tide 
fall  short  of  that  of  the  night,  that  though  they  had  lightened 
the  ship  nearly  fifty  ton,  she  did  not  float  by  a  foot  and  a  half. 
Hence  it  became  necessary  to  lighten  her  still  more,  and  every 
thing  was  thrown  overboard  that  could  possibly  be  spared. 
Hitherto  the  Endeavour  had  not  admitted  much  water  ;  but  as 
the  tide  fell,  it  rushed  in  so  fast,  that  she  could  scarcely  be  kept 
free,  though  two  pumps  were  incessantly  worked.  There  were 
now  no  hopes  but  from  the  tide  at  midnight,  to  prepare  for  tak- 
ing the  advantage  of  which  the  most  vigorous  efforts  were 
exerted.  About  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  tide  began  to 
rise,  but,  at  the  same  time,  the  leak  increased  to  a  most  alarm- 
ing degree.  Two  more  pumps,  therefore,  were  manned,  one  of 
which  unhappily  would  not  work  ;  three  pumps,  however,  were 
kept  going,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  ship  righted.  Nevertheless, 
the  leak  had  gained  so  considerably  upon  her,  that  it  was  ima- 
gined that  she  must  go  to  the  bottom  as  soon  as  she  ceased  to 
be  supported  by  the  rock.  It  was,  indeed,  a  dreadful  circum- 
stance to  our  commander  and  his  people,  that  they  were  obliged 
to  anticipate  the  floating  of  the  vessel,  not  as  an  earnest  of  their 
deliverance,  but  as  an  event  which  probably  would  precipitate 
their  destruction.  They  knew  that  their  boats  were  not  capable 
of  carrying  the  whole  of  them  on  shore,  and  that  when  the  dread- 
ful crisis  should  arrive,  all  command  and  subordination  being  at 
an  end,  a  contest  for  preference  might  be  expected,  which  would 
increase  even  the  horrors  of  shipwreck,  and  turn  their  rage 

5* 


M 


106 


OAPTAIN   cook's 


against  each  other.  Some  of  them  vcre  sensible  that  if  they 
should  escape  to  the  main  land,  they  were  likely  to  suffer  more 
upon  the  whole,  than  those  who  would  be  left  on  board  to  perish 
in  the  waves.  The  latter  would  only  be  exposed  to  instant 
death  ;  whereas  the  former,  when  they  got  on  shore,  would  have 
no  lasting  or  effectual  defence  against  the  natives,  in  a  part  of 
the  country  where  even  nets  and  fire-arms  could  scarcely  furnish 
them  with  food.  But  supposing  that  they  should  find  the  means 
of  subsistence,  how  horrible  must  be  their  state,  to  be  condemned 
to  languish  out  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  a  desolate  wilder* 
ness,  without  the  possession  or  hope  of  domestic  comfort ;  and 
to  be  cut  off  from  all  commerce  with  mankind,  excepting  that  ot 
the  naked  savages,  who  prowl  the  desert,  and  who  perhaps  are 
some  of  th6  most  rude  and  uncivilized  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  ! 

The  dreadful  moment  which  was  to  determine  the  fate  of  our 
voyagers  now  drew  on  ;  and  every  one  saw,  in  the  countenances 
of  his  companions,  the  picture  of  his  own  sensations.  Not,  how- 
ever, giving  way  to  despair,  the  lieutenan  tordered  the  capstan 
and  windlass  to  be  manned  with  as  many  hands  as  could  be 
spared  from  the  pumps,  and  the  ship  having  floated  about  twenty 
minutes  after  ten  o'clock,  the  grand  effort  was  made,  and  she 
was  heaved  into  deep  water.  It  was  no  small  consolation  to 
find,  that  she  did  not  now  admit  of  more  water  than  she  had 
done  when  upon  the  rock.  By  the  gaining,  indeed,  of  the  leak 
upon  the  pumps,  three  feet  and  nine  inches  of  water  were  in  the 
hold  ;  notwithstanding  which,  the  men  did  not  relinquish  their 
labour.  Thus  they  held  the  water  as  it  were  at  bay  :  but  hav- 
ing endured  excessive  fatigue  of  body,  and  agitation  of  mind,  for 
more  than  twenty-four  hours,  and  all  this  being  attended  with 
little  hope  of  final  success,  they  began  at  length  to  flag.  None 
of  them  could  work  at  the  pump  above  five  or  six  minutes  to- 
gether, after  which,  being  totally  exhausted,  they  threw  them- 
selves down  upon  the  deck,  though  a  stream  of  water,  between 


FIRfaT   VOYAGE. 


107 


three  und  four  inches  deep,  was  runuing  over  it  from  the  pamps. 
When  those  who  succeeded  them  had  worked  their  time,  '<  id  in 
their  turn  were  exhausted,  they  threw  themselves  down  in  the 
same  manner,  and  the  others  started  up  again,  to  renew  their 
labour.     While  thus  they  were  employed  in  relieving  each  other, 
an  accident  was  very  nearly  putting  an  immediate  end  to  all 
their  efforts.    The  planking,  which  lines  the  ship's  bottom  is 
called  the  ceiling,  between  which  and  the  outside  planking  there 
is  a  space  of  about  eighteen  inches.    From  this  ceiling  only,  the 
man  who  had  hitherto  attended  the  well  had  taken  the  depth  of 
the  water,  and  had  given  the  measure  accordingly.    But,  upon 
his  being  relieved,  the  person  who  came  in  his  room  reckoned 
the  depth  to  the  outside  planking,  which  had  the  appearance  of 
the  leak's  having  gained  upon  the  pumps  eighteen  inches  in  a 
few  minutes.    The  mistake,  however,  was  soon  detected ;  and 
the  accident,  which  in  its  commencement  was  very  formidable  to 
them,  became,  in  fact,  highly  advantageous.    Such  was  the  joy 
which  every  man  felt,  at  finding  his  situation  better  than  his 
fears  had  suggested,  that  it  operated  with  wonderful  energy,  and 
seemed  to  possess  him  with  a  strong  persuasion  that  scarcely 
any  real  danger  remained.    New  confidence  and  new  hope  in- 
spired fresh  vigor  ;  and  the  efforts  of  the  men  were  exerted  with 
so  much  alacrity  and  spirit,  that  before  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  pumps  had  gained  considerably  upon  the  leak.    All 
the  conversation  now  turned  upon  carrying  the  ship  into  some 
harbour,  as  a  thing  not  to  be  doubted  ;  and  as  hands  could  be 
spared  from  the  pumps,  they  were  employed  in  getting  up  the 
anchors.     It  being  found  impossible  to  save   the  little  bower 
anchor,  it  was  cut  away  at  a  whole  cable,  and  the  cable  of  the 
stream  anchor  was  lost  among  the  rocks  ;  but,  in  the  situation 
of  our  people,  these  were  trifles  that  scarcely  attracted  their 
notice.     The  fore-topmast  and  fore-yard  were  next  erected,  and 
there  being  a  breeze  from  the   sea,  the  Endeavour,  at  eleven 
o'clock,  got  once  more  under  sail,  and  stood  for  the  land. 


.'  ;5  ..in 


.;:' 


a,  ■■i. 


1^ 


:m 


'\m 


:iHl« 


.1.  '      !  1}  rii 


r 


108 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


111  'ii 


Notwithstanding  these  favourable  circumstances,  our  vojagew 
were  still  very  far  from  being  in  a  state  of  safety.  It  was  not 
possible  long  to  continue  the  labour  by  which  the  pumps  had 
been  made  to  gain  upon  the  leak  ;  and  as  the  exact  place  of  it 
could  not  be  discovered,  there  was  no  hope  of  stopping  it  within. 
At  this  crisis,  Mr.  Monkhouse,  one  of  the  midshipmen,  came  to 
Lieutenant  Cook,  and  proposed  an  expedient  he  had  once  seen  used 
on  board  a  merchant  ship,  which  had  sprung  a  leak  that  admit- 
ted more  than  four  feet  of  water  in  an  hour,  and  which  by  this 
means  had  been  safely  brought  from  Virginia  to  London.  To 
Mr.  Monkhouse,  therefore  the  care  of  the  expedient,  which  is  call- 
ed fotheriiig  the  ship,  was,  with  proper  assistance,  committed,  and 
his  method  of  proceeding  was  as  follows.  He  took  a  lower  stud- 
ding sail,  and  having  mixed  together  a  large  quantity  of  oakum 
and  wool,  he  stitched  it  down  as  tightly  as  possible,  in  handsful 
upon  the  sail,  and  spread  over  it  the  dung  of  the  sheep  of  the 
Tessel  and  other  filth.  The  sail  being  thus  prepared,  it  was 
hauled  under  the  ship's  bottom  by  ropes,  which  kept  it  extended. 
When  it  came  under  the  leak,  the  suction  that  carried  in  the  water, 
carried  in  with  it  the  oakum  and  wool  from  the  surface  of  the 
sail.  In  other  parts  the  water  was  not  sufficiently  agitated  to 
wash  off  the  oakum  and  the  wool.  The  success  of  the  expe- 
dient was  answerable  to  the  warmest  expectations  ;  for  hereby 
the  leak  was  so  far  reduced,  that,  instead  of  gaining  upon  three 
pumps,  it  was  easily  kept  under  with  one.  Here  wai  such  a  new 
source  of  confidence  and  comfort,  that  our  people  couIJ  scarcely 
have  expressed  more  joy  if  they  had  been  already  in  port.  It 
had  lately  been  the  utmost  object  of  their  hope,  to  run  the  ship 
ashore  in  some  harbour,  either  of  an  island  or  the  main,  and  to 
build  a  vessel  from  her  materials,  to  carry  them  to  the  East  Indies. 
Nothing,  however,  was  now  thought  of  but  to  range  along  the 
coast  in  search  of  a  convenient  place  to  repair  the  damage  the 
Endeavour  had  sustained,  and  then  to  prosecute  the  voyage 
upon  the  same  plan  as  if  no  impediment  had  happened.     lu  jus- 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


lOi^ 


tice  and  gratitude  to  the  ship's  company,  and  the  gentlemen  ou 
board,  Mr.  Cook  has  recorded  that  although  in  the  midst  of  their 
distress  all  of  them  seemed  to  have  a  just  sense  of  their  danger, 
no  man  gave  way  to  passionate  exclamations,  or  frantic  gestures. 
"  Every  one  appeared  to  have  the  perfect  possession  of  his  mind, 
and  every  one  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost,  with  a  quiet  and 
patient  perseverance,  equally  distant  from  the  tumultuous  vio- 
lence of  terror,  and  the  gloomy  inactivity  of  despair."  Though 
the  lieutenant  hath  said  nothing  of  himself,  it  is  well  known  that 
his  own  composure,  fortitude,  and  activity,  were  equal  to  the 
greatness  of  the  occasion. 

To  complete  the  history  of  this  wonderfnl  preservation,  it  is 
necessary  to  bring  forward  a  circumsiance  which  could  not  be 
discovered  till  the  ship  was  laid  down  to  be  repaired.  It  was 
then  found,  that  one  of  her  holes,  which  was  large  enough  to 
have  sunk  our  navigators,  if  they  had  had  eight  pumps  instead 
of  four,  and  had  been  able  to  keep  them  incessantly  going,  was 
in  a  great  measure  filled  np  by  a  fragment  of  the  rock  upon 
which  the  Endeavour  had  struck.  To  this  singular  event,  there- 
fore, it  was  owing,  that  the  water  did  not  pour  in  with  a  violence 
which  must  speedily  have  involved  the  Endeavour  and  all  her 
company  in  inevitable  destruction. 

Hitherto  none  of  the  names,  by  which  our  commander  had 
distinguished  the  several  parts  of  the  country  seen  by  him,  were 
memorials  of  distress.  But  the  anxiety  and  danger,  which  he 
and  his  people  had  now  experienced,  induced  him  to  call  a  point 
in  sight,  which  lay  to  the  northward,  Cape  Tribulation. 

The  next  object,  after  this  event,  was  to  look  out  for  a  har 
bour,  where  the  defects  of  the  ship  might  be  repaired,  and  the 
vessel  put  into  proper  order  for  future  navigation.  On  the  14th, 
a  small  harbour  was  happily  discovered,  which  was  excellently 
adapted  to  the  purpose.  It  was,  indeed,  remarkable,  that,  during 
the  whole  course  of  the  voyage,  our  people  had  seen  no  place 
which,  in  their  present  circumstances,  could  have  afforded  them 


1 


Ml 


4 


'V. 


110 


CAPTAIN  CXX)K  8 


the  same  relief.  They  could  not,  however,  immediately  get  into 
it ;  and  in  the  midst  of  all  their  joy  for  their  unexpected  deliver- 
ance, they  had  not  forgotten  that  there  was  nothing  but  a  lock 
of  wool  between  them  and  destruction. 

At  this  time  the  scurvy,  with  many  formidable  symptoms, 
began  to  make  its  appearance  among  our  navigators.  Tupia,  in 
particular,  was  so  grievously  aflfected  with  the  disease,  that  all 
the  remedies  prescribed  by  the  surgeon  could  not  retard  its  pro- 
gress. Mr.  Green,  the  astronomer,  was  also  upon  the  decline. 
These  and  other  circumstances  embittered  the  delay  which  pre- 
vented our  commander  and  his  companions  from  getting  on  shore. 
In  the  morning  of  the  1  tth,  though  the  wind  was  still  fresh,  the 
lieutenant  ventured  to  weigh,  and  to  put  in  for  the  harbour,  the 
entrance  into  which  was  by  a  very  narrow  channel.  In  making 
the  attempt,  the  ship  was  twice  run  aground.  At  the  first  time, 
she  went  off  without  any  trouble,  but  the  second  time  she  stuck 
fast.  Nevertheless,  by  proper  exertions,  in  conjunction  with  the 
rising  of  the  tide,  she  floated  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  was  soon  warped  into  the  harbour.  The  succeeding  day  was 
employed  in  erecting  two  tents,  in  landing  the  provisions  and 
stores,  and  in  making  every  preparation  for  repairing  the  dama- 
ges which  the  Endeavour  had  sustained.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr. 
Cook,  who  had  ascended  one  of  the  highest  hills  that  overlooked 
the  harbour,  was  by  no  means  entertained  with  a  comfortable 
prospect ;  the  low  land  near  the  river,  being  wholly  overun  with 
mangroves,  among  which  the  salt  water  flows  at  every  tide,  and 
the  high  land  appearing  to  be  altogether  stony  and  barren.  Mr. 
Banks  also  took  a  walk  up  the  country,  and  met  with  the  frames 
of  several  old  Indian  houses,  and  places  where  the  natives, 
though  not  recently,  had  dressed  shell  fish.  The  boat,  which  had 
this  day  been  dispatched  to  haul  the  seine,  with  a  view  of  pro- 
curing some  fish  for  the  refreshment  of  the  sick,  returned  with- 
out success.  Tupia  was  more  fortunate.  Having  employed  him- 
EPlf  in  angling,  and  lived  entirely  upon  what  he  caught,  he 


FIRST  VOTAOE. 


Ill 


the 


recoTercd  in  a  surprising  degree.     Mr.  Green,  to  the  regret  of 
bis  friends,  exhibited  no  symptoms  of  returning  health. 

On  the  19th  Mr.  Baniss  crossed  the  river,  to  take  a  farther 
tiew  of  the  country,  which  he  found  to  consist  principally  of  sand 
hills.  Some  Indian  houses  were  seen  by  him,  that  appeared  to 
have  been  very  lately  inhabited,  and  ia  his  walk  he  met  with 
large  flocks  of  pigeons  and  crows.  The  pigeons  were  exceed- 
ingly beautiful.  Of  these  he  shot  several ;  but  the  crows,  which 
were  exactly  like  those  in  England,  were  so  shy  that  they  never 
came  within  the  reach  of  his  gun. 

It  was  not  till  the  22d,  that  the  tide  so  far  left  the  Endeavour 
as  to  give  our  people  an  opportunity  of  examining  her  leak.  lu 
the  place  where  it  was  found,  the  rocks  had  made  their  way 
through  four  planks,  and  even  into  the  timbers.  Three  more  planks 
were  greatly  damaged,  and  there  was  something  very  extraor- 
dinary in  the  appearance  of  the  breaches.  Not  a  splinter  was 
to  be  seen,  but  all  was  as  smooth  as  if  the  whole  had  been  cut 
away  by  an  instrument.  It  was  a  peculiarly  happy  circumstance, 
that  the  timbers  were  here  very  close,  since  otherwise  the  ship 
could  not  possibly  have  been  saved.  Now  also  it  was  that  the 
fragment  of  the  rock  was  discovered,  which,  by  sticking  in  the 
leak  of  the  vessel,  had  been  such  a  providential  instrument  of  her 
preservation. 

On  the  same  day,  some  of  the  people  who  had  been  sent  to 
shoot  pigeons  for  the  sick,  and  who  had  discovered  many  Indian 
houses,  and  a  fine  stream  of  fresh  water,  reported,  at  their  return, 
that  they  had  seen  an  animal  as  large  as  a  greyhound,  of  a  slen- 
der make,  of  a  mouse  colour,  and  extremely  swift.  As  the 
lieutenant  was  walking,  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  ship,  he  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  an 
animal  of  the  same  kind.  From  the  description  he  gave  of  it, 
and  from  an  imperfect  view  which  occurred  to  Mr.  Banks,  the 
Ia;ter  gentleman  was  of  opinion  that  its  species  was  hitherto 
imknowa. 


mti 


\\ 


Ml 


n 


'',''. 


1 1  ; 


*^'  •  li] 


112 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


The  position  of  the  vessel,  while  she  wta  refitting  for  sea, 
was  very  near  depriving  the  world  of  that  botanical  knowledge 
which  Mr.  Banks  had  procured  at  the  expense  of  so  much  la- 
bour and  such  various  perils.      For  the  greater  security  of  the 

-curious  collection  of  plants  which  he  had  made  during  the 
whole  voyage,  he  had  removed  them  into  the  bread  room.  The 
room  is  in  the  after  part  of  the  ship,  the  head  of  which,  for  the 
purpose  of  repairing  her,  was  laid  much  higher  than  the  stern. 
No  one  having  thought  of  the  danger  to  which  this  circumstance 
might  expose  the  plants,  they  were  found  to  be  under  water. 
However,  by  the  exercise  of  unremitting  care  and  attention,  the 

'  larger  part  of  them  were  restored  to  a  state  of  preservation. 
On  the  29th  of  June,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Cook, 
in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Green,  observed  an  emersion  of  Jupiter's 
first  satellite.  The  time  here  was  2h  18'  63",  which  gave  the 
longitude  of  the  place  at  214°  42'  30"  west  ;  its  latitude  is  15" 
26'south.  The  next  morning  the  lieutenant  sent  some  of  the  young 
gentlemen  to  take  a  plan  of  the  harbour,  whilst  he  himself  ascend- 
ed a  hill,  that  he  might  gain  a  full  prospect  of  the  sea  ;  and  it 
was  a  prospect  which  presented  him  with  a  lively  view  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  his  situation.  To  his  great  concern  he  saw  innumerable 
sandbanks  and  shoals,  lying  in  every  direction  of  the  coast.  Some 
of  them  extended  as  far  as  he  could  discern  with  his  glass,  and 
many  of  them  did  but  just  rise  above  water.  To  the  northward 
there  was  an  appearance  of  a  passage,  and  this  was  the  only  di- 
rection in  which  our  commander  could  hope  to  get  clear,  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  voyage  ;  for  as  the  wind  blew  constantly  from 

'the  southeast,  to  return  by  the  southward  would  have  been  ex- 
tremely difficult,  if  not  absolutely  impossible.  On  this  and  the 
preceding  day,  our  people  had  been  very  successful  in  hauling 
the  seine.  The  supply  of  fish  was  so  great,  that  the  lieutenant 
was  now  able  to  distribute  two  pounds  and  a  half  to  each  man.  A 
quantity  of  greens  having  likewise  been  gathered,  he  ordered 
them  to  be  boiled  with  the  peas.     Hence  an  excellejt  mess  was 


I  1 


WHS 


FIRST    VOYAOK. 


113 


produced,  which  in  conjunction  with  the  fish,  ftfforded  an  un- 
speakable refreshment  to  the  whole  of  the  siiip's  company. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  July,  Lieutenant  Cook  sent 
the  master  out  of  the  liarbour,  in  the  pinnace,  to  Round  about  the 
fhoals,  and  to  search  for  a  channel  to  the  northward.     A  second 
attempt,  which  was  made  this  day,  to  heave  oflf  the  ship,  was  as 
unsuccessful  as  a  former  one  had  been.    The  next  day  the  mas- 
ter returned,  and  reported,  thot  he  had  found  a  passage  out  to 
sea  between  two  shoals.  On  one  of  these  shoals,  which  consisted  of 
coral  rocks,  many  of  which  were  dry  at  low  water,  he  had  landed, 
and   found  there  cockles  of  so  enormous  a  size  that  a  single 
cockle  was  more  than  two  men  could  eat.     At  the  same  place 
he  met  with  a  great  variety  of  other  shell  fish,  and  brought 
back  with  him  a  plentiful  supply  for  the  use  of  his  fellow  voya- 
gers.    At  high  water,  this  day,  another  effort  was  made  to  float 
the  ship,  which  happily  succeeded  ;  but  it  being  found  that  she 
had  sprung  a  plank  between  decks,  it  became  necessary  to  lay 
her  ashore  a  second  time.     The  lieutenant,  being   anxious  to 
attain  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  vessel,  got  one  of 
the  carpenter's  crew,  a  man  in  whom  he  could  confide,  to  dive 
on  the  5th  to  her  bottom,  that  he  might  examine  the  place 
where  the  sheathing  had  been  rubbed  off.     His  report,  which 
was  that  three  streaks  of  the  sheathing,  about  eight  feet  long, 
were  wanting,  and  that  the  main  plank  had  been  a  little  rubbed, 
was  perfectly  agreeable  to  the  account  that  had  been  given 
before   by   the   master   and  others,  wlio   had  made   the   same 
examination  ;  and  our  commander  had  the  consolation  of  find- 
ing, that  in  the  opinion  of  the  carpenter,  this  matter  would  be  of 
little  consequence.  The  other  damage  therefore  being  repaired,  the 
ship  was  again  floated  at  high  water,  and  all  hands  were  era 
ployed  in  taking  the  stores  on  board,  and  in  putting  her  into  a 
condition  for  proceeding  on  her  voyage.      To  the  harbour  in 
which  she  refitted  for  sea,  Mr.  Cook  gave  the  name  of  the  En- 
deavour River. 


'ItJii 


'   ill 


?ti?i 


■■:ii: 

M 


r  i. 


114 


OAPTArN   COOK  8 


Od  the  morning  of  the  6th,  Mr.  Banks,  accompanied  by  Lieu- 
tenant Gore,  and  three  men,  set  out  in  a  small  boat  up  the  river, 
with  a  view  of  spending  a  few  days  in  examining  the  country. 
In  this  expedition  nothing  escaped  his  notice  which  related  either 
to  the  natural  history  or  the  inhabitants  of  the  places  be  visited. 
Though  he  met  with  undoubted  proofs  that  several  of  the 
natives  were  at  no  great  distance,  none  of  them  came  within 
sight.  Having  found,  upon  the  whole,  that  the  country  did  not 
promise  much  advantage  from  a  farther  search,  he  and  bis  party 
retlmbarked  in  their  boat,  and  returned  on  the  8th  to  the  ship. 
During  their  excursion,  they  had  slept  upon  the  ground  in  per- 
fect security,  and  without  once  reflecting  upon  the  danger  they 
would  have  incurred,  if,  in  that  situation,  they  had  been  dis- 
covered by  the  Indians. 

Lieutenant  Cook  had  not  been  satisfied  with  the  account 
which  the  master  had  given  of  his  having  traced  a  passage 
between  the  shoals  into  the  sea.  He  sent  him  out,  therefore,  a 
second  time,  upon  the  same  business  ;  and,  on  his  return,  he 
made  a  different  report.  Having  been  seven  leagues  out  at  sea, 
the  master  was  now  of  opinion  that  there  was  no  such  passage 
as  he  had  before  imagined.  His  expedition,  however,  though 
in  this  respect  unsuccessful,  was  not  wholly  without  its  advan- 
tage. On  the  very  rock  where  he  had  seen  the  large  cockles, 
he  met  with  a  great  number  of  turtle  ;  and,  though  he  had  no 
better  instrument  than  a  boat-hook,  three  of  them  were  caught, 
which  together  weighed  seven  hundred  and  ninety-one  pounds. 
An  attempt  which,  by  the  order  of  the  lieutenant  was  made  the 
'  next  morning,  to  obtain  some  more  turtle,  failed,  through  the 
misconduct  of  the  same  officer  who  had  been  so  fortunate  on  the 
preceding  day. 

Hitherto  the  natives  of  this  part  of  the  country  had  eagerly 
avoided  holding  any  intercourse  with  our  people  :  but  at  length 
their  minds,  through  the  good  management  of  Mr.  Cook,  be- 
came more  favouiabiy  disposed.     Four  of  tlieni  having  aiipearcd, 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


115 


on  the  lOlh,  in  a  small  cnnoo,  and  scenr.inj^  to  be  baslly  em- 
ployed in  striking  fish,  some  of  the  ship's  company  were  for 
going  over  to  them  in  a  boat.  Tliifl,  however,  tlie  lieutenant 
would  not  permit,  repeated  experience  having  convinced  him 
that  it  was  more  likely  to  prevent  than  to  procure  an  interview, 
lie  determined  to  pursue  a  contrary  method,  and  to  try  what 
could  be  done  by  letting  them  alone,  and  not  appearing  to  make 
them,  in  the  least  degree,  the  objects  of  his  notice.  So  success- 
ful was  this  plan,  that  after  some  preparatory  intercourse,  they 
came  alongside  the  ship,  without  expressing  any  fear  or  distrust. 
The  conference  was  carried  on,  by  signs,  with  the  utmost  cor- 
diality till  dinner  time,  when,  being  invited  by  our  people  to  go 
with  them  and  partake  of  their  provision,  they  declined  it,  and 
went  away  in  their  canoe.  One  of  these  Indians  was  somewhat 
above  the  middle  age  ;  the  three  others  were  young.  Their  sta- 
ture was  of  the  common  size,  but  their  limbs  were  remarkably 
small.  The  colour  of  their  skin  was  of  a  dark  chocolate.  Their 
hair  was  black,  but  not  woolly  ;  and  their  features  were  far  from 
being  disagreeable.  They  had  lively  eyes,  and  their  teeth  were 
even  and  white.  The  tones  of  their  voices  were  soft  and  musical, 
and  there  was  a  flexibility  in  their  organs  of  speech,  which  en- 
abled them  to  repeat,  with  great  facility,  many  of  the  words  pro- 
nounced by  the  English. 

On  the  next  morning  our  voyagers  had  another  visit  from  four 
of  the  natives.  Three  of  them  were  the  same  who  had  appeared 
the  day  before,  but  the  fourth  was  a  stranger,  to  whom  his  com- 
panions gave  the  name  of  Yaparco.  He  was  distinguished  by  a 
Tery  peculiar  ornament.  This  was  the  bone  of  a  bird,  nearly 
as  thick  as  a  man's  finger,  and  five  or  six  inches  long,  which  ho 
had  thrust  into  a  hole,  made  in  the  gristle  that  divides  the  nos- 
trils. An  instance  of  the  like  kind,  and  only  one,  had  been  seen 
in  New  Zealand.  It  was  found,  however,  that  amomg  all  these 
people  the  same  part  of  the  nose  was  perforated  ;  that  they 
uad  holes  in  their  ears  ;  and  that  they  had  bra'^elets,  made  of 


I 


I 


i-pu. 


tit 


■tl* 


116 


CAITAIN    COOK  8 


plaited  Imir,  upon  the  nppnr  part  of  tlioir  arms.  Thiw  tlio  love 
of  ornament  takes  place  among  liiem,  though  they  are  abnolutely 
destitute  of  apparel. 

Three  Indians,  on  tlio  12th,  ventured  down  to  Tupia's  tent, 
and  were  so  well  pleased  with  their  reception,  that  one  of  them 
went  with  his  canoe  to  fetch  two  others,  who  had  never  been 
seen  by  the  Knglish.  On  his  return,  he  introduced  the  strangers 
by  name,  a  ceremony  which  was  never  omitted  upon  such  occa- 
sions. From  a  fartlier  acquaintance  with  the  natives,  it  was 
found,  that  the  colour  of  their  skins  was  not  so  dark  as  had  at 
first  been  apprehended,  and  that  all  of  them  were  remarkably 
:lean  limbed,  and  extremely  active  and  nimble.  Their  language 
appeared  to  be  more  harsh  than  that  of  the  islanders  in  the 
South  Sea. 

On  the  14th,  Mr.  Gore  had  tlie  good  fortune  to  kill  one  of  the 
animals  before  mentioned,  and  wliich  had  been  the  subject  of 
much  speculation.  It  is  called  by  the  natives  Kangaroo  ;  and 
when  dressed  proved  most  excellent  meat.  Indeed,  our  naviga- 
tors might  now  be  said  to  fare  sumptuously  every  day  ;  for  they 
had  turtle  in  great  plenty,  and  it  was  agreed  that  these  were  far 
superior  to  any  which  our  people  had  ever  tasted  in  England. 
This  the  gentlemen  justly  imputed  to  their  being  eaten  fresh 
from  the  sea,  before  their  natural  fat  had  been  wasted,  or  their 
juices  changed,  by  the  situation  and  diet  they  are  exposed  to 
when  kept  in  tubs.  Most  of  the  turtle  here  caught  were  of  the 
kind  called  green  turtle,  and  their  weight  was  from  two  to  three 
hundred  pounds. 

In  the  morning  of  the  16th,  while  the  men  were  engaged  in 
their  usual  employment  of  getting  the  ship  ready  for  the  sea, 
our  commander  climbed  one  of  the  heights  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  and  obtained  from  it  an  extensive  view  of  the  inland 
country,  which  he  found  agreeably  diversified  by  hills,  valleys, 
and  large  plains,  that  in  many  places  were  richly  covered  with 
wood.     This  evening,  the  lieutenant  and  Mr.  Green  observed  an 


Ji  <: 


:if 


FIRST   TOTAOE. 


117 


emersion  of  the  first  8atellito  of  Jupiter,  wiiicli  gave  214°  53'  45" 
of  longitude.  Tlie  observatiou  taken  on  the  20tii  of  Juue  liad 
given  214°  48'  30"  and  the  mean  was  214°  48'  7^",  being  tiio 
longitude  of  tlie  place  west  of  Greenwich. 

On  the  I7th,  Mr.  Cook  sent  the  maHtcr  and  one  of  the  mates 
iu  the  pinnace,  to  search  for  a  channel  northward  ;  after  which, 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander,  he  went  into  the 
woods  on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  In  this  excursion,  the 
gentlemen  had  a  farther  opportunity  of  improving  their  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Indians,  who  by  degrees  became  so  familiar,  that 
Bereral  of  them  the  next  day  ventured  on  board  the  ship.  There 
the  lieutenant  left  them,  apparently  much  entertained,  that  he 
might  go  with  Mr.  Banks  to  take  a  farther  survey  of  the  country, 
and  especially  to  indulge  an  anxious  eiiriosiiy  they  hud,  of  look- 
ing round  about  them  upon  the  sea  ;  of  which  they  earnestly 
wished,  but  scarcely  diircd  to  hope,  that  they  might  obtain  a 
favourable  and  encouraging  prospect.  When,  after  having 
walked  along  the  shore  seven  or  eight  miles  to  the  northward, 
they  ascended  a  very  high  hill,  the  view  which  presented  itself 
to  them  insi)ired  nothing  but  melancholy  apprehensions.  In 
every  direction  they  saw  rocks  and  shoals  without  number,  and 
there  appeared  to  be  no  passage  out  to  sea,  but  through  the 
winding  channels  between  them,  the  navigation  of  which  could 
not  be  accomplished  without  the  utmost  degree  of  difficulty  and 
danger.  The  spirits  of  the  two  gentlemen  were  not  raised  by 
tliis  excursion. 

On  the  19th,  our  voyagers  were  visited  by  ten  of  the  natives, 
and  six  or  seven  more  were  seen  at  a  distance,  chiefly  women, 
who  were  as  naked  as  the  male  Inhabitants  of  the  country. 
There  being  at  that  time  a  number  of  turtles  on  the  deck  of  the 
ship,  the  Indians  who  came  on  board  were  determined  to  get 
one  of  them,  and  expressed  great  disappointment  and  anger 
when  our  people  refused  to  comply  with  their  wishes.  Several 
attempts  were  made  by  them  to  secure  what  they  wanted  b) 


n 


118 


m  ;i 


J  !  I 


III  ill: 


\i 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


force  ;  but  all  their  efforts  proving  unsuccessful,  tliey  suddenly 
leaped  into  their  canoe  in  a  transport  of  rage,  and  paddled 
towards  the  shore.  The  lieutenant,  with  Mr.  Banks,  and  five  or 
six  of  the  ship's  crew,  immediately  went  into  the  boat,  and  got 
ashore,  where  many  of  the  English  were  engaged  in  various 
employments  As  soon  as  the  natives  reached  the  land,  they 
eeized  their  arms,  which  had  been  laid  up  in  a  tree,  and  having 
snatched  a  brand  from  under  a  pitch  kettle  that  was  boiling, 
made  a  circuit  to  the  windward  of  the  few  things  our  people  had 
CO  shore,  and  with  surprising  quickness  and  dexterity  set  fire  to 
the  grass  in  their  way.  The  grass,  which  was  as  dry  as  stubble, 
and  five  or  six  feet  high,  burnt  with  surprising  fury  ;  and  a  tent 
of  Mr.  Banks's  would  have  been  destroyed,  if  that  gentleman 
had  not  immediately  got  some  of  the  meu  to  save  it,  by  hauling 
it  down  upon  the  beach.  Every  part  of  the  smith's  forge  that 
would  burn  was  consumed.  This  transaction  was  followed  by 
another  of  the  same  nature.  In  spite  of  threats  and  entreaties, 
the  Indians  went  to  a  different  place,  where  several  of  the  Endea- 
vour's crew  were  washing,  and  where  the  soinc,  the  other  nets, 
and  a  large  quantity  of  linen,  were  laid  out  to  dry,  and  again 
set  fire  to  the  grass.  The  audacity  of  this  fr^sh  attack  rendered 
l«  necessary  that  a  musket,  loaded  with  small  shot,  should  be 
discharged  at  one  of  them,  who  being  wounded  at  the  distance 
of  about  forty  yards,  they  all  betook  themselves  to  flight.  In 
the  last  instance  the  fire  was  extinguished  before  it  had  made 
any  considerable  progress  ;  but  where  it  had  first  began,  it 
spread  far  into  the  woods.  The  natives  being  still  in  sight,  Mr. 
Cook,  to  convince  them  that  they  had  not  yet  gotten  out  of  his 
reach,  fired  a  musket,  charged  with  ball,  abreast  of  them  among 
the  mangroves,  upon  which  they  quickened  their  pace,  and  were 
soon  out  of  view.  It  was  now  expected  that  they  would  have 
given  our  navigators  no  farther  trouble  ;  but  in  a  little  time 
their  voices  were  heard  in  the  woods,  and  it  was  perceived  that 
they  came  nearer  and  nearer.    The  lieutenant,  therefore,  together 


liii^ 


FIRST  VOYAGE. 


119 


with  Mr.  Banks,  and  three  or  four  more  persona,  set  out  to  meet 
them  ;  and  the  result  of  the  interview,  in  consequence  of  the 
prudent  and  lenient  conduct  of  our  commander  and  his  friends, 
was  a  complete  reconciliation.  Soon  after  the  Indians  went 
away,  the  woods  were  seen  to  be  on  fire  at  the  distance  of  about 
two  miles.  This  accident,  if  it  had  happened  a  little  sooner,  might 
have  produced  dreadful  effects  ;  for  the  powder  had  been  but  a 
few  days  on  board,  and  it  was  not  many  b  ^urs  since  the  store 
tent,  with  all  the  valuable  things  contained  in  it,  had  been 
removed.  From  the  fury  with  which  the  grass  would  burn  in 
this  hot  climate,  and  the  difficulty  ol  extinguishing  the  fire,  our 
voyagers  determined  never  to  expose  themselves  to  the  like 
danger,  but  to  clear  the  ground  around  them,  if  ever  again  they 
should  be  under  the  necessity  of  pitching  their  tents  in  such  a 
situation. 

In  the  evening  of  this  day,  when  everything  was  gotten  on 
board  the  ship,  and  she  was  nearly  ready  for  sailing,  the  master 
returned  with  the  disagreeable  account  that  there  was  no  pas- 
sage for  her  to  the  northward.  The  next  morning,  the  lieuten- 
ant himself  sounded  and  buoyed  the  bar.  At  this  time,  all  the 
hills  for  many  miles  round  were  on  fire,  and  the  appearance  ihtj 
assumed  at  night  was  eminently  striking  and  splendid. 

In  an  excursion  which  was  made  by  Mr.  Banks,  on  the  23d, 
to  gather  plants,  he  found  the  greatest  part  of  the  cloth  that 
had  been  given  to  the  Indians  lying  in  a  heap  together.  This, 
as  well  as  the  trinkets  which  had  been  bestowed  upon  them,  they 
probably  regarded  as  useless  lumber.  Indeed  they  seemed  to 
set  little  value  on  any  thing  possessed  by  our  people,  excepting 
their  turtle  ;  and  that  was  a  commodity  which  could  not  be 
spared. 

As  Lieutenant  Cook  was  prevented  by  blowing  weather  from 
attempting  to  get  out  to  sea,  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander  seized 
another  opportunity,  on  the  24th,  of  pursuing  their  botanical 
researches.     Having  traversed  the  woods  the  greater  part  of  the 


If 


I,!         II 


ii 


I 


AM 


*   I'S 


■'  r.  1 


•f 


11 

ill 


i* 


120 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


day,  without  success,  as  they  were  returning  through  a  deep  valley, 
they  discovered  lying  upon  the  ground  several  marking  nuts, 
the  auacardium  orientale.  Animated  with  the  hope  of  meeting 
with  the  tree  that  bore  them,  a  tree  which  perhaps  no  European 
botanist  had  ever  seen,  they  sought  for  it  with  great  diligence 
and  labor,  but  to  no  purpose.  While  Mr.  Banks  was  again 
gleaning  the  country,  on  the  26th,  to  enlarge  his  treasure  of 
natural  history,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  take  an  animal  of 
the  opossum  tribe,  together  with  two  young  ones.  It  was  a 
female,  and,  though  not  exactly  of  the  same  species,  much  resem- 
bled the  remarkable  animal  which  Mon.  De  Buffon  hath  described 
by  the  name  of  phalanger. 

On  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the  weather  becoming  calm,  and  a 
light  breeze  having  sprung  up  by  land.  Lieutenant  Cook  sent  a 
boat  to  see  what  water  was  upon  the  bar,  and  all  things  were  made 
ready  for  putting  to  sea.  But,  on  the  return  of  the  boat,  the  officer 
reported,  that  there  were  only  thirteen  feet  of  water  on  the  bar. 
As  the  ship  drew  thirteen  feet  six  inches,  and  the  sea  breeze  set 
in  again  in  the  evening,  all  hope  of  sailing  on  that  day  was  given 
up.  The  weather  being  more  moderate  on  the  31st,  the  lieuten- 
ant had  thoughts  of  trying  to  warp  the  vessel  out  of  the  harbour  ; 
but  upon  going  out  himself  in  the  boat,  he  found  that  the  wind 
still  blew  so  fresh  that  it  would  not  be  proper  to  make  the 
attempt.  A  disagreeable  piece  of  intelh'gence  occurred  on  the 
succeeding  day.  The  carpenter,  who  had  examined  the  pumps, 
reported  that  they  were  all  of  them  in  a  state  of  decay.  One  of 
them  was  so  rotten,  that,  when  hoisted  up,  it  dropped  to  pieces, 
and  the  rest  were  not  in  a  much  better  condition.  The  chief 
confidence,  therefore,  of  our  navigators,  was  now  in  the  sound- 
ness of  the  ship  ;  and  it  was  a  happy  circumstance,  that  she  did 
not  admit  more  than  one  inch  of  water  in  an  hour. 

Early  on  the  3d  of  August,  another  unsuccessful  attempt  was 
made  to  warp  the  vessel  out  of  the  harbour  ;  but  in  the  morning 
of  the  next  day  the  efforts  of  our  voyagers  were  more  prosperous, 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


121 


and  the  Endeavour  g^t  once  more  under  sail  with  a  liglit  air  from 
the  land,  which  soon  died  away,  and  was  followed  by  sea  breezes 
from  the  southeast  by  south.  With  these  breezes  the  ship  stood 
off  to  sea,  east  by  north,  having  the  pinnace  ahead,  which  was 
ordered  to  keep  sounding  without  intermission.  A  little  before 
noon  the  lieutenant  anchored  in  fifteen  fathom  water,  with  a 
sandy  bottom  ;  the  reason  of  which  was,  that  he  did  not  think 
it  safe  to  run  in  among  the  shoals,  till,  by  taking  a  view  of  them 
from  the  mast-head  at  low  water,  he  might  be  able  to  form  some 
judgment  which  way  it  would  be  proper  for  him  to  steer.  This 
was  a  matter  of  nice  and  arduous  determination.  As  yet  Mr. 
Cook  was  in  doubt,  whether  he  should  beat  back  to  the  south- 
ward, round  all  the  shoals,  or  seek  a  passage  to  the  eastward  or 
the  northward :  nor  was  it  possible  to  say,  whether  each  of 
these  courses  might  not  be  attended  with  equal  difficulty  and 
danger. 

The  impartiality  and  humanity  of  Lieutenant  Cook's  conduct  in 
the  distribution  of  provisions  ought  not  to  pass  unnoticed. 
Whatever  turtle  or  other  fish  were  caught,  they  were  always 
equally  divided  among  the  whole  ship's  crew,  the  meanest  person 
on  board  having  the  same  share  with  the  lieutenant  himself.  He 
hath  justly  observed,  that  this  is  a  rule  which  every  commander 
will  find  it  his  interest  to  follow,  in  any  voyage  of  a  similar 
nature. 

Great  difficulties  occurred  in  the  navigation  from  the  Endeav- 
our river.  On  the  5th  of  August  the  lieutenant  had  not  kept  his 
course  long,  before  shoals  were  discovered  in  every  quarter,  which 
obliged  him,  as  night  approached,  to  come  to  an  anchor.  In  the 
morning  of  the  sixth,  there  was  so  strong  a  gcale,  that  our  voya- 
gers were  prevented  from  weighing.  When  it  was  low  water, 
Mr.  Cook,  with  several  of  his  officers,  kept  a  lookout  at  the 
mast-head,  to  see  if  any  passage  could  be  discovered  between  the 
shoals.  Nothing,  however,  was  in  view,  excepting  breakers, 
Which  extended  from  the  south  round  by  the  east  as  far  us  lo 


I  •■.ii 


■  'i 


'■  ,:i  I 


122 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


ill 


the  northwest,  and  reached  out  to  sea,  beyond  the  sight  of  any  of 
the  gentlemen.  It  did  not  appear  that  these  breakers  were 
caused  by  one  continued  shoal,  but  by  several,  which  lay  detached 
from  each  other.  On  that  which  was  farthest  to  the  eastward, 
the  sea  broke  very  high,  so  that  the  lieutenant  was  induced  to 
think  that  it  was  the  outermost  shoal.  He  was  now  convmced, 
that  there  was  no  passage  to  sea,  but  through  the  labyrinth 
formed  by  these  shoals  ;  and,  at  the  same  time  he  was  wholly  at 
a  loss  what  course  to  steer,  when  the  weather  should  permit  the 
vessel  to  sail.  The  master's  opinion  was,  that  our  navigators 
should  beat  back  the  way  they  came  ;  but  as  the  wind  blew 
strongly,  and  almost  without  intermission,  from  that  quarter, 
this  would  have  been  an  endless  labour  ;  and  yet,  if  a  passage 
could  not  be  found  to  the  northward,  there  was  no  other  alter- 
native. A^midst  these  anxious  deliberations,  the  gale  increased, 
and  continued  with  little  remission  till  the  morning  of  the  10th, 
when  the  weather  becoming  more  moderate,  our  commander 
weighed,  and  stood  in  for  the  land.  He  had  now  come  to  a 
final  determination  of  seeking  a  passage  along  the  shore  to  the 
northward. 

In  pursuance  of  this  resolution,  the  Endeavour  proceeded  in 
her  course,  and  at  noon  came  between  the  farthermost  headland 
that  lay  in  sight,  and  three  islands  which  were  four  or  five 
leagues  to  the  north  of  it,  out  at  sea.  Here  our  navigators 
thought  they  saw  a  clear  opening  before  them,  and  began  to 
hope  that  they  were  once  more  out  of  danger.  Of  this  hope, 
however,  they  were  soon  deprived,  on  which  account  the  lieuten- 
ant gave  to  the  headland  the  name  of  Gape  Flattery.  After  he 
had  steered  some  time  along  the  shore,  for  what  was  believed  to 
be  the  open  channel,  the  petty  ofiQcer  at  the  mast-head  cried 
aloud,  that  he  saw  land  ahead,  which  extended  quite  round  to 
the  three  islands,  and  that  between  the  ship  and  them  there  was 
a  large  reef.  Mr.  Cook,  upon  this,  ran  up  to  the  mast-head 
himself,  and  plainly  discerned  the  reef,  which  was  so  far  to  tke 


FIRST   VOTAOB. 


123 


windward  that  it  could  not  be  weathered.  As  to  the  land  which 
tlie  petty  officer  had  supposed  to  be  the  main,  our  commander 
was  of  opinion  that  it  was  only  a  cluster  of  small  islands.  The 
master,  and  some  others  who  went  up  to  the  mast-head  after  the 
lieutenant,  were  entirely  of  a  diflFerent  opinion.  All  of  them  were 
positive  that  the  land  in  sight  did  not  consist  of  islands,  but  that 
it  was  a  part  of  the  main  ;  and  they  rendered  their  report  still 
more  alarming,  by  adding,  that  they  saw  breakers  round  them  on 
everv  side.  In  a  situation  so  critical  and  doubtful,  Mr.  Cook 
thought  proper  to  come  to  an  anchor,  under  a  high  point,  which 
he  immediately  ascended,  that  he  might  have  a  farther  view  of 
the  sea  and  the  country.  The  prospect  he  had  from  this  place, 
which  he  called  Point  Lookout,  clearly  confirmed  ^»im  in  his 
former  opinion  ;  the  justness  of  which  displayed  one  of  the  nume- 
rous instances,  wherein  it  was  manifest,  how  much  he  exceeded 
the  people  about  him  in  the  sagacity  of  his  judgment  concerning 
matters  of  navigation. 

The  lieutenant,  being  anxious  to  discover  more  distinctly  the 
situation  of  the  shoals,  and  the  channel  between  them,  determined 
to  visit  the  northernmost  and  largest  of  the  three  islands  before 
mentioned  ;  which,  from  its  height,  and  its  lying  five  leagues 
out  to  sea,  was  peculiarly  adapted  to  his  purpose.  Accordingly, 
in  company  with  Mr.  Banks,  whose  fortitude  and  curiosity  stim- 
ulated him  to  take  a  share  in  every  undertaking,  he  set  out  in 
the  pinnace,  on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh,  upon  this  expedition. 
He  sent,  at  the  same  time,  the  master  in  the  yawl,  to  sound 
between  the  low  islands  and  the  main  laud.  About  one  o'clock, 
the  gentlemen  reached  the  place  of  their  destination,  and  imme- 
diately, with  a  mixture  of  hope  and  fear,  proportioned  to  the 
importance  of  the  business,  and  the  uncertainty  of  the  event, 
ascended  the  highest  hill  they  could  find.  When  the  lieutenant 
took  a  survey  of  the  prospect  around  him,  he  discovered,  on  the 
outside  of  the  islands,  and  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  leagues 
from  them,  a  reef  of  rocks,  upon  which  the  sea  broke  in  a  dread« 


It 
^1 


i 


ft. 

•i 


i 


i 


it.> 


■w^    ^ 

|r|| 

f,,:;j 

'i 

I 


!mi<' 


m 


124 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


nil  surf,  and  which  extended  farther  than  his  sight  could  reach 
Hence,  however,  he  collected,  that  there  were  no  shoals  beyond 
them  ;  and  as  he  perceived  several  breaks  or  openings  in  the 
reef,  and  deep  water  between  that  and  the  islands,  he  entertained 
hopes  of  getting  without  the  rocks.  But  though  he  saw  reason 
to  indulge,  in  some  degree,  this  expectation,  the  haziness  of  the 
weather  prevented  him  from  obtaining  that  satisfactory  intelli- 
gence which  he  ardently  desired.  He  determined,  therefore,  by 
staying  all  night  upon  the  island,  to  try  whether  the  next  day 
would  not  afford  him  a  more  distinct  and  comprehensive  prospect. 
Accordingly,  the  gentlemen  took  up  their  lodgings  under  the 
shelter  of  a  bush,  which  grew  upon  the  beach.  Not  many  hours 
were  devoted  by  them  to  sleep  ;  for,  at  three  in  the  morning, 
Mr.  Cook  mounted  the  hill  a  second  time,  but  had  the  mortifica- 
tion of  finding  the  weather  much  more  hazy  than  it  had  been  on 
the  preceding  day.  He  had  early  sent  the  pinnace,  with  one  of 
the  mates,  to  sound  between  the  island  and  the  reefs,  and  to 
examine  what  appeared  to  be  a  channel  through  them.  The 
mate,  in  consequence  of  its  blowing  hard,  did  not  dare  to  venture 
into  the  channel,  which  he  reported  to  be  very  narrow.  Never- 
theless, our  commander,  who  judged,  from  the  description  of 
the  place,  that  it  had  been  seen  to  disadvantage,  was  not  discour- 
aged by  this  account. 

While  the  lieutenant  was  engaged  in  his  survey,  Mr.  Banks, 
always  attentive  to  the  great  object  of  natural  history,  collected 
some  plants  which  he  had  never  met  with  before.  No  animals 
were  perceived  upon  the  place,  excepting  lizapds,  for  which  rea- 
son the  gentlemen  gave  it  the  name  of  Lizard  Island.  In  their 
return  to  the  ship,  they  landed  on  a  low,  sandy  island,  that  had 
trees  upon  it,  and  which  abounded  with  an  incredible  number  of 
birds,  principally  sea-fowl.  Here  they  found  the  nest  of  an  eagle, 
and  the  nest  of  some  other  bird,  of  what  species  they  could  not 
distinguish  ;  but  it  must  certainly  be  one  of  the  largest  kinds 
that  exist.    This  was  apparent  from  the  enormous  size  of  the 


k\ 


FIRST    VOYAGE. 


126 


nest,  which  was  buill  with  sticks  upon  the  ground,  and  was  no 
less  than  six  and  twenty  feet  in  circumference,  and  two  feet  ciglit 
inches  in  height.  The  spot  which  the  gentlemen  were  now  upon 
they  called  Eagle  Island. 

When  lieutenant  Cook  got  on  board,  he  entered  into  a  yery 
serious  deliberation  concerning  the  course  he  should  pursue. 
After  considering  what  he  had  seen  himself,  and  the  master's 
report,  he  was  of  opinion,  that  by  keeping  in  with  the  main  land, 
he  should  run  the  risk  of  being  locked  in  by  the  great  reef,  and 
of  being  compelled  at  last  to  return  back  in  search  of  another 
passage.  By  the  delay  that  would  hence  be  occasioned,  our  navi- 
gators would  almost  certainly  be  prevented  from  getting  in  time 
to  the  East  Indies,  which  was  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance, 
and  indeed  of  absolute  necessity  ;  for  they  had  now  not  much 
more  than  three  months'  provision  on  board,  at  short  allowance. 
The  judgment  the  lieutenant  had  formed,  together  with  the  facts 
and  appearances  on  which  it  was  grounded,  he  stated  to  his  offi- 
cers, by  whom  it  was  unanimously  agreed,  that  the  best  thing 
they  could  do  would  be  to  quit  the  coast  entirely,  till  they  could 
approach  it  again  with  less  danger. 

In  pursuance  of  this  resolution,  the  Endeavour,  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  13th,  got  under  sail,  and  successfully  passed 
through  one  of  the  channels  or  openings  in  the  outer  reef,  which 
Mr.  Cook  had  seen  from  the  island.  When  the  ship  had  gotten 
without  the  breakers,  there  was  no  ground  within  one  hundred 
and  fifty  fathom,  and  our  people  found  a  large  sea  rolling  in 
upon  them  from  the  southeast.  This  was  a  certain  sign  that 
neither  land  nor  shoals  were  near  them  in  that  direction. 

So  happy  a  change  in  the  situation  of  our  voyagers  was  sen- 
sibly felt  in  every  breast,  and  was  visible  in  every  countenance. 
They  had  been  little  less  than  three  months  in  a  state  that  per- 
petually threatened  them  with  destruction.  Frequently  had  thoy 
passed  their  nights  at  anchor  within  hearing  of  the  surge  that 
broke  over  the  shoals  and  rocks  ;  and  they  knew,  that  if  by  any 


•  ..ifr 
i 


■i  '■ 
■in) 


.■:m 


r-'fl 


126 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


V    I 


m 


M 


accident  the  anchors  shoald  not  hold  against  an  almost  continaal 
tempest,  they  must  in  a  few  minutes  inevitably  perish.  They  had 
sailed  three  hundred  and  sixty  leagues,  without  once,  even  for  a 
moment,  having  a  man  out  of  the  chains  heaving  the  lead.  This 
was  a  circumstance  which  perhaps  never  had  happened  to  any 
other  vessel.  But  now  our  navigators  found  themselves  in  an 
open  sea,  with  deep  water;  end  the  joy  they  experienced  was  pro- 
portioned to  their  late  danger,  and  their  present  security. 
Nevertheless,  the  very  waves,  which  proved  by  their  swell  that 
our  people  had  no  rocks  or  shoals  to  fear,  convinced  them,  at 
the  same  time,  that  they  could  not  put  a  confidence  in  the  ship 
equal  to  what  they  had  done  before  she  struck.  So  far  were  her 
leaks  widened  by  the  blows  she  received  from  the  waves,  that 
she  admitted  no  less  than  nine  inches  of  water  in  an  hour.  If 
the  company  had  not  been  lately  in  so  much  more  imminent  dan 
ger,  this  fact,  considering  the  state  of  the  pumps,  and  the  navi- 
gation which  was  still  in  view,  would  have  been  a  matter  of  very 
serious  concern. 

The  passage  or  channel,  through  which  the  Endeavour  passed 
into  the  open  sea  beyond  the  reef,  lies  in  latitude  14°  32'  south. 
It  may  always  be  known  by  the  three  high  islands  within  it,  to 
which,  on  account  of  the  use  they  may  be  of  guiding  the  way  of 
future  voyagers,  our  commander  gave  the  appellation  of  the 
Islands  of  Direction. 

It  was  not  a  long  time  that  our  navigators  enjoyed  the  satis- 
faction of  being  free  from  the  alarm  of  danger.  As  they  were 
pursuing  their  course  in  the  night  of  the  15th,  they  sounded  fre- 
quently, but  had  no  bottom  with  one  hundred  and  forty  fathom, 
nor  any  ground  with  the  same  length  of  line.  Nevertheless,  at 
four  in  the  morning  of  the  16th,  they  plainly  heard  the  roaring  of 
surf,  and  at  break  of  day  saw  it  foaming  to  a  vast  height,  at  not 
more  than  the  distance  of  a  mile.  The  waves  which  rolled  in 
upon  the  reef,  carried  the  vessel  towards  it  with  great  rapidity  • 
and,  at  the  same  time,  our  people  could  reach  no  ground  with  an 


FIRST   T0TA6E. 


127 


navi- 


anchor,  and  had  not  a  breath  of  wind  for  the  sail.  In  a  situa* 
tion  so  dreadful,  there  was  no  resource  but  in  the  boats ;  and, 
most  unhappily,  the  pinnace  was  under  repair.  By  the  help,  how- 
ever, of  the  long-boat  and  the  yawl,  which  were  sent  ahead  to 
tow,  the  ship's  head  was  got  round  to  the  northward,  a  circum- 
stance which  might  delay,  if  it  could  not  prevent  destruction. 
This  was  not  effected  till  six  o'clock,  and  our  voyagers  were  not 
then  a  hundred  yards  from  the  rock,  upon  which  the  same  billow 
that  washed  the  side  of  the  vessel  broke  to  a  tremendous  height, 
the  very  next  time  it  rose.  There  waa  only,  therefore,  a  dreary 
valley  between  the  English  and  destruction  ;  a  valley  no  wider 
than  the  base  of  one  wave,  while  the  sea  under  them  was 
unfathomable.  The  carpenter,  in  the  meanwhile,  having  hastily 
patched  up  the  pinnace,  she  was  hoisted  out,  and  sent  ahead  to 
tow  in  aid  of  the  other  boats.  But  all  these  efforts  would  have 
been  ineffectual,  if  a  light  air  of  wind  had  not  sprung  up,  just  at 
the  crisis  of  our  people's  fate.  It  was  so  light  an  air,  that  at 
any  other  time  it  would  not  have  been  observed  :  but  it  was 
sufficient  to  turn  the  scale  in  favour  of  our  navigators  ;  and  in 
conjunction  with  the  assistance  which  was  afforded  by  the  boats, 
it  gave  the  ship  a  perceptible  motion  obliquely  from  the  reef. 
The  hopes  of  the  company  now  revived  ;  but  in  less  than  ten 
minutes  a  dead  calm  succeeded,  and  the  vessel  was  again  driven 
towards  the  breakers,  which  were  not  at  the  distance  of  two 
hundred  yards.  However,  before  the  ground  was  lost  which  had 
already  been  gained,  the  same  light  breeze  returned,  and  lasted  ten 
minutes  more.  During  this  time  a  small  opening,  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant,  was  discovered  in  the  reef ;  upon  which,  Mr. 
Cook  immediately  sent  one  of  mates  to  examine  it,  who  reported 
that  its  breadth  was  not  more  than  the  length  of  the  ship,  out 
that  within  it  there  was  smooth  water.  This  discovery  presented 
the  prospect  of  a  possibility  of  escape,  by  pushing  the  vessel 
through  the  opening.  Accordingly,  the  attempt  was  made,  but  it 
failed  of  success  ;  for  when  our  people,  by  the  joint  assistance  of 


■.4 


^.'fi 


I 


ij 


'  f; 


j:-^' 


II';:!!  ^ 
llill' 


I 

k 


■'Ml 

il! 


128 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


their  boats  and  the  breczo,  had  reached  the  pening,  they  found 
tliat  it  hud  become  high  water  ;  and  to  their  great  surprise,  they 
met  the  tide  of  el)b  running  out  liive  a  niill-streani.  In  direct 
contrariety  to  tiieir  expectations,  some  advantage  was  gained  by 
tliis  event.  Though  it  was  impossible  to  go  through  tlie  opening, 
the  stream,  which  prevented  the  Endeavour  from  doing  it,  carried 
her  out  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ;  and  the  boats  were  so  much 
assisted  in  towing  her,  by  the  tide  of  ebb,  that  at  noon  she  had 
gained  the  distance  of  nearly  two  miles.  However,  there  was 
yet  too  much  reason  to  despair  of  deliverance.  For  even  if  the 
breeze,  which  had  now  died  away,  had  revived,  our  navigators 
were  still  embayed  in  the  reef :  and  the  tide  cf  ebb  being  spent, 
the  tide  of  flood,  notwithstanding  their  utmost  efforts,  drove  the 
ship  back  again  into  her  former  perilous  situation.  Happily, 
about  this  time,  another  opening  was  perceived,  nearly  a  mile  to 
the  westward.  Our  commander  immediately  sent  Mr.  Hicks, 
the  first  lieutenant,  to  examine  it ;  and  in  the  meanwhile  the 
Endeavour  struggled  hard  with  the  flood,  sometimes  gaining  and 
Bometimer  losing  ground.  During  this  severe  service,  every  man 
did  his  duty  with  as  much  calmness  and  regularity  as  if  no  dan- 
ger had  been  near.  At  length,  Mr.  Hicks  returned  with  the 
intelligence,  that  the  opening,  though  narrow  and  hazardous, 
was  capable  of  being  passed.  The  bare  possibility  of  passing  it 
was  encouragement  sufficient  to  make  the  attempt  ;  and  indeed 
all  danger  was  less  to  be  dreaded  by  our  people,  than  that  of 
continuing  in  their  present  situation.  A  light  breeze  having  for- 
tunately sprung  up,  this,  in  conjunction  with  the  aid  of  the  boats, 
and  the  very  tide  of  flood,  that  would  otherwise  have  been  their 
destruction,  enabled  them  to  enter  the  opening,  through  which 
they  were  hurried  with  amazing  rapidity.  Such  was  the  force  ot 
the  torrent  by  which  they  were  carried  along,  that  they  were 
kept  from  c' riving  against  either  side  of  the  channel,  which  in 
breadth  was  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  While  they  were 
shooting  this  gulf,  their  soundings  were   remarkably  irregular, 


FIRST   VOTAOB 


12d 


rarying  from  thirty  to  seven  fathom,  and  the  ground  at  bottom 
was  foul. 

As  soon  as  our  navigators  hao  gotten  within  the  reef,  they 
came  to  an  anchor  ;  and  their  joy  was  exceedingly  great  at  hav- 
ing  regained  a  situation  which,  three  days  before,  they  had  quity 
ted  with  the  utmost  pleasure  and  transport.  Rociis  aud  shoals, 
which  are  always  dangerous  to  the  mariner,  evcu  when  they  are 
previously  known  and  marked,  are  peculiarly  dangerous  in  seas 
which  have  never  been  navigated  before  ;  and  in  this  part  of  the 
globe  they  are  more  perilous  than  in  any  other.  Ilerc  they  con- 
sist of  reefs  of  coral  rock,  which  rise  like  a  wall  almost  pcrpen- 
dicularly  out  of  the  deep,  and  are  always  overflowed  at  high 
water.  Here,  too,  the  enormous  waves  of  the  vast  southeru 
ocean,  meeting  with  so  abrupt  a  resistance,  break,  with  incon- 
ceivable violence,  in  a  surf  which  cannot  be  produced  by  any 
rocks  or  storms  in  the  northern  hemisphere.  A  crazy  ship, 
shortness  of  provision,  and  a  want  of  every  necessary,  greatly 
increased  the  danger  to  our  present  voyagers  of  navigating  in 
this  ocean.  Nevertheless,  such  is  the  ardour  of  the  human  mind, 
and  so  flattering  is  the  distinction  of  a  first  discoverer,  that 
Lieutenant  Cook  and  his  companions  cheerfully  encountered 
every  peril,  and  submitted  to  every  inconvenience.  They  chose 
rather  to  incur  the  charge  of  imprudence  and  temerity,  than  to 
leave  a  country  unexplored  which  they  had  discovered,  or  to 
afford  the  least  colour  for  its  being  said,  that  they  were  deficient 
in  perseverance  and  fortitude.  It  scarcely  needs  to  be  added, 
that  it  was  the  high  and  magnanimous  spirit  of  our  commander 
in  particular,  which  inspired  his  people  with  so  much  resolution 
and  vigour. 

The  lieutenant,  having  now  gotten  withir  the  reef,  determined, 
whatever  might  be  the  consequence,  to  keep  the  main  land  on 
board,  in  his  future  route  to  the  northward.  His  reason  for  this 
determination  was,  that,  if  he  had  gone  without  the  reef  again, 
he  might  have  been  cairied  by  it  so  far  from  the  coast,  us  tj 

6* 


H> 


<     M 


II''  .!■ 


I ; ' 


'li 


^:y 


m 


130 


OAPTATN    COOK  8 


prevent  his  being  able  to  ascertain  whetiier  this  country  did,  or 
did  uot,  join  to  New  Guinea;  a  questiou  which  he  had  fixed 
upon  resolving,  from  the  first  moment  that  he  had  come  within 
8ight  of  land.  To  the  opening  through  which  the  Endeavour 
had  passed,  our  commander,  with  a  proper  sense  of  gratitude  to 
the  Supreme  Being,  gave  the  name  of  Providential  Channel.  In 
the  morning  of  the  17  th,  the  boats  had  been  sent  out  to  see 
what  refreshmtnts  could  be  procured  ;  and  returned  ii»  the  after- 
noon with  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  the  meat  of  shell 
fish,  chiefly  of  cockles.  Some  of  the  cockles  were  as  much  as 
two  men  could  move,  and  contained  twenty  pounds  of  good  meat 
Mr.  Banks,  who  had  gone  out  in  his  little  boat,  aceom[)anied  by 
Dr.  Solander,  brought  back  a  variety  of  curious  shells,  and  many 
species  of  corals. 

In  the  prosecution  of  the  voyage,  our  people,  on  the  19th, 
were  encompassed  on  every  side  with  rocks  and  shoals  ;  but,  as 
they  had  lately  been  exposed  to  much  greater  danger,  and  these 
objects  were  now  become  familiar,  they  began  to  regard  them 
comparatively  with  little  concern.  On  the  2l8t,  there  being  two 
points  in  view,  between  which  our  navigators  could  see  no  land, 
they  conceived  hopes  of  having  at  last  found  a  passage  into  the 
Indian  Sea.  Mr.  Cook,  however,  that  he  might  be  able  to 
determine  the  matter  with  greater  certainty,  resolved  to  land 
apon  an  island  which  lies  at  the  southeast  point  of  the  passage. 
Accordingly,  he  went  into  the  boat,  with  a  party  of  men,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander.  As  they  were  getting 
to  shore,  some  of  the  natives  seemed  inclined  to  oppose  their 
landing,  but  soon  walked  leisurely  away.  The  gentlemen  imme- 
diately climbed  the  highest  hill,  from  which  no  land  could  be 
seen  between  the  southwest  and  west-southwest ;  so  that  the 
lieutenant  had  not  the  least  doubt  of  finding  a  channel,  through 
which  he  could  pahS  to  New  Guinea.  As  he  was  now  about  to 
quit  the  coast  of  New  Holland,  which  he  had  traced  from  lati- 
tude  thivty-eight  to  this  place,  and  which  he  was  certain   no 


FIRST   VOVAOE. 


131 


European  had  ever  seen  before,  he  onco  more  hoisted  En^jflish 
colours,  lie  had,  indeed,  already  talveu  possession  of  several 
particular  parts  of  the  country.  l>ut  he  now  took  possession  of 
the  whole  eastern  coast,  with  all  the  bays,  harbour8,  rivers,  and 
islands  situated  upon  it,  from  latitude  38°  to  latitude  10"  \' 
fioulh,  in  right  of  his  Majesty  King  George  the  Third,  and  by 
the  name  of  New  South  Wales.  The  party  then  fired  three 
volleys  of  small  arms,  which  were  answered  by  the  same  number 
from  the  ship.  When  the  gentlemen  had  performed  this  cere- 
mony upon  the  island,  which  they  called  Possession  Island,  they 
reembarked  in  their  boat,  and  in  conse(|uence  of  a  rapid  ebb 
tide,  had  a  very  difficult  and  tedious  return  to  the  vessel. 

On  the  23d,  the  wind  had  come  round  to  the  southwest ;  and 
though  it  was  but  a  gentle  breeze,  yet  it  was  accompanied  by  a 
swell  from  the  same  quarter,  which,  in  conjunction  with  other 
circumstances,  confirmed  Mr.  Cook  in  his  opinion  that  he  had 
arrived  to  the  northern  extremity  of  New  Holland,  and  that  ho 
had  now  an  open  sea  to  the  westward.  These  circumstances 
afforded  him  peculiar  satisfaction,  not  only  because  the  dangers 
and  fatigues  of  the  voyage  were  drawing  to  a  conclusion,  but 
because  it  could  no  longer  be  doubted  whether  New  Holland  and 
New  Guinea  were  two  separate  islands.  The  northeast  entrance 
of  the  strait  lies  in  the  latitude  of  10°  39'  south,  and  in  the 
longitude  of  218°  30'  west ;  and  the  passage  is  formed  by  the 
main  land,  and  by  a  congeries  of  islands,  to  the  northwest,  call- 
ed by  the  lieutenant  the  Prince  of  Wales's  Islands,  and  which 
may  probably  extend  as  far  as  to  New  Guinea.  Their  difference 
is  very  great,  both  in  height  and  circuit,  and  many  seemed  to  be 
well  covered  with  herbage  and  wood  ;  nor  was  there  any  doubt 
of  their  being  inhabited.  Our  commander  was  persuaded,  that 
among  these  islands  as  good  passages  might  be  found,  as  that 
through  which  the  vessel  came,  and  the  access  to  which  might 
be  less  perilous.  The  determination  of  this  matter  he  would  not 
have  left  to  future  navigators,  if  he  had  been  less  harassed  by 


■  '"if 


■'.r.i 


!     I 


■'hK 


:iW 


ii 


132 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


danger  and  fatigue,  and  had  possessed  a  ship  in  better  condition 
for  the  purpose.  To  the  channel  through  which  he  passed,  he 
gave  the  name  of  Endeavour  Straits. 

New  Holland,  or,  as  the  eastern  part  of  it  was  called  by  Lieu- 
tenant Cook,  New  South  Wales,  is  the  largest  country  in  the 
known  world  which  does  not  bear  the  name  of  a  continent.  The 
length  of  coast  along  which  our  people  sailed,  when  reduced  to 
a  straight  line,  was  no  less  than  twenty-seven  degrees  of  latitude, 
amounting  nearly  to  two  thousand  miles.  In  fact,  the  square 
surface  of  the  island  is  much  more  than  equal  to  the  whole  of 
Europe.  We  may  observe,  with  regard  to  the  natives,  that 
their  number  bears  no  proportion  to  the  extent  of  their  territory. 
So  many  as  thirty  of  them  had  never  been  seen  together  but 
once,  and  that  was  at  Botany  Bay.  Even  when  they  appeared 
determined  to  engage  the  English,  they  could  not  muster  above 
fourteen  or  fifteen  fighting  men  ;  and  it  was  manifest  that  their 
sheds  and  houses  did  not  lie  so  close  together  as  to  be  capable 
of  accommodating  a  larger  party.  Indeed  our  navigators  saw 
only  the  sea- coast  on  the  eastern  side  ;  between  which  and  the 
western  shore  there  is  an  immense  tract  of  land  that  is  wholly 
unexplored.  But  it  is  evident,  from  the  totally  uncultivated 
state  of  the  country  which  was  seen  by  our  people,  that  this  im- 
mense tract  must  either  be  altogether  desolate,  or  at  least  more 
thinly  inhabited  than  the  parts  which  were  visited.  Of  traffic, 
the  natives  had  no  idea,  nor  could  any  be  communicated  to  them. 
The  things  which  were  given  them  they  received,  but  did  not 
appear  to  understand  the  signs  of  the  English  requiring  a  return. 
There  was  no  reason  to  believe  that  they  eat  animal  food  raw. 
As  they  have  no  vessel  in  which  water  can  be  boiled,  they  either 
broil  their  meat  upon  the  coals,  or  bake  it  in  a  hole  by  the 
help  of  hot  stones,  agreeably  to  the  custom  cf  the  inhabitants  of 
the  South-Sea  islands.  Fire  is  produced  by  them  with  great 
facility,  and  they  spread  it  in  a  surprising  manner.  For  produc- 
ing it,  they  take  two  pieces  of  soft  wood,  one  of  which  is  a  slick 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


133 


about  eight  or  uine  inches  long,  while  the  other  piece  is  flat. 
The  stick  they  shape  into  an  obtuse  point  at  one  end,  and  press- 
ing it  upon  the  flat  wood,  turn  it  nimb.y  by  holding  it  between 
both  their  hands.  In  doing  this,  they  often  shift  their  hands  up, 
and  then  move  them  down,  with  a  view  of  increasing  the  press- 
ure as  much  as  possible.  By  this  process  they  obtain  fire  in 
less  than  two  minutes,  and  from  the  smallest  spark  they  carry  it 
to  any  height  or  extent  with  great  speed  and  dexterity. 

It  was  not  possible,  considering  the  limited  intercourse  which 
our  navigators  had  with  the  natives  of  New  South  Wales,  that 
much  could  be  learned  with  regard  to  their  language.  Never- 
theless, as  this  is  an  object  of  no  small  curiosity  to  the  learned, 
and  is  indeed  of  peculiar  importance  in  searching  into  the  origin 
of  the  various  nations  that  have  been  discovered,  Mr.  Cook  and 
bis  friends  took  some  pains  to  collect  such  a  specimen  of  it  as 
might,  in  a  certain  degree,  answer  the  purpose.  Our  commander 
did  not  quit  the  country  without  making  such  observations  rela- 
tive to  the  currents  and  tides  upon  the  coast,  as,  while  they  in- 
crease the  general  knowledge  of  navigation,  may  be  of  service 
to  future  voyagers.  The  irregularity  of  the  tides  is  an  object 
worthy  of  notice. 

From  the  coast  of  New  South  Wales  the  lieutenant  steered, 
on  the  23rd  of  August,  for  the  coast  of  New  Guinea,  and 
on  the  25th  fell  upon  a  dangerous  shoal.  The  ship  was  in 
six  fathom,  but  scarcely  two  were  found  upon  sounding  round 
her,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  cable's  length.  This  shoal  was  of 
such  an  extent,  reaching  from  the  east  round  by  the  north  and 
west  to  the  southwest,  that  there  was  no  method  for  the  vessel 
to  get  clear  of  it  but  by  going  back  the  w  j  she  came.  Here 
was  another  hair's  breadth  escape,  for  it  was  nearly  high  water, 
and  there  ran  a  short  cockling  sea,  which,  if  the  ship  had  struck, 
must  very  soon  have  bulged  her.  So  dangerous  was  her  situa- 
tion, that  if  her  direction  had  been  half  a  cabh.'s  length  more, 
either  to  the  right  or  left,  she  must  have  struck  before  the  signal 
for  the  shoal  could  hare  been  made. 


'  :      ' 


I  I 


lA, 


\f      ' 


I 


i.    % 


-.|.,j 


L4J 


134 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


■ 


I 

i 

I 


lii  t|| 


It  had  been  lieutenant  Cook's  intention  to  steer  northwest, 
until  he  had  made  the  south  coast  of  New  Guinea,  and  it  was 
his  purpose  to  touch  upon  it,  if  that  could  be  found  practicable. 
Bi;t  in  consequence  of  the  shoals  he  met  with,  he  altered  his  course, 
in  the  hope  of  finding  a  clearer  channel,  and  deeper  water.  His 
hope  was  agreeably  verified  ;  for  by  noon  on  the  26th,  the  depth 
of  water  was  gradually  increased  to  seventeen  fatho  ra.  On  the 
28th,  our  voyagers  found  the  sea  to  be  in  many  places  covered  with 
a  brown  scum,  such  as  the  sailors  usually  call  spawn.  When  the 
lieutenant  first  saw  it,  he  was  alarmed,  fearing  that  the  ship  was 
again  among  shoals  ;  but  the  depth  of  water,  upon  sounding, 
was  discovered  to  be  equal  to  what  it  was  in  other  places.  The 
same  appearance  had  been  observed  upon  the  coasts  of  Brazil 
and  New  Holland,  in  which  cases  it  was  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  shore.  Mr.  Banks  and  Dr.  Solander  examined  the 
scum,  but  could  not  determine  what  it  was,  any  further  than  as 
they  saw  reason  to  suppose  that  it  belonged  to  the  vegetable 
kingdom.  The  sailors,  upon  meeting  with  more  of  it,  gave  up  the 
notion  of  its  being  spawn,  and  finding  a  new  name  for  it,  called 
it  sea-sawdust. 

At  daybreak  on  the  3d  of  September,  our  navigators  came  in 
sight  of  New  Guinea,  and  stood  in  for  it,  with  a  fresh  gale  till 
nine  o'clock,  when  they  brought  to,  being  in  three  fathom  water 
and  within  about  three  or  four  miles  of  land.  Upon  this  the  pin- 
nace was  hoisted,  and  the  lieut-.uant  set  off  from  the  ship  with 
the  boat's  crew,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks,  Dr.  Solander,  and 
Mr.  Banks's  servants,  being  in  all  twelve  persons,  well  armed 
As  soon  as  they  came  ashore  they  discovered  the  prints  of  hu- 
man feet,  which  could  not  long  have  been  impressed  upon  the 
sand.  Concluding,  therefore,  that  the  natives  wore  at  no  great 
distance,  and  there  being  a  thick  wood  which  reached  to  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  water,  the  gentlemen  tho  ight  it  necessary  to 
proceed  with  caution  lest  their  retreat  to  the  boat  should  be  cut  off. 
When  they  had  walked  some  way  along  the  skirts  of  the  wood, 
they  came  io  a  grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  at  the  fruit  of  which 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


135 


they  looked  very  wishfully  ;  but  not  thinking  it  safe  to  climb,  they 
were  obliged  to  leave  it  without  tasting  a  single  nut.  After  they 
had  advanced  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  boat,  three  In- 
dians rushed  out  of  the  wood,  with  a  hideous  shout,  and  as  they 
ran  towards  the  English,  the  foremost  threw  something  out 
of  his  hand  which  flew  on  one  side  of  him  and  burned  exactly 
like  gunpowder,  though  without  making  any  report.  The  two 
other  natives  having  at  the  same  instant  discharged  their  arrows, 
the  lieutenant  and  his  party  were  under  under  the  necessity  of 
firing,  first  with  small  shot  and  a  second  time  with  ball.  Upon 
this,  the  three  Indians  ran  away  with  great  agility.  As  Mr. 
Cook  had  no  disposition  forcibly  to  invade  this  country,  either  to 
gratify  the  appetites  or  the  curiosity  of  his  people,  and  was  con- 
vinced that  nothing  was  to  be  done  upon  friendly  terms,  he  and 
his  companions  returned  with  all  expedition  towards  their  boat. 
When  they  were  aboard,  they  rowed  abreast  of  the  natives,  wlio 
had  come  down  to  the  shore  in  aid  of  their  countrymen,  and 
vhose  number  now  amounted  to  between  sixty  and  a  hundred. 
Their  appearance  was  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  New  Hol- 
landers ;  they  nearly  resembled  them  in  stature,  and  in  having 
their  hair  short  and  cropped.  Like  them,  also,  they  were  abso- 
lutely naked  ;  but  the  colour  of  their  skin  did  not  seem  quite 
so  dark,  which,  however,  might  be  owing  to  their  being  less 
dirty.  While  the  English  gentlemen  were  viewing  them,  they 
were  shouting  defiance  and  letting  off  their  fires  by  four  or  five 
at  a  time.  Our  people  could  not  imagine  what  these  fires  were, 
or  what  purposes  they  were  intended  to  answer.  Those  who  dis- 
charged them  had  in  their  hands  a  short  piece  of  stick,  which 
they  swung  sideways  from  them,  and  immediately  there  issued 
fire  and  smoke,  exactly  resembling  those  of  a  musket,  and  of  aa 
Htton  a  duration.  The  mei:  on  board  the  ship,  who  observed 
this  surprising  phenomenon,  were  so  far  deceived  by  it,  as  to  be- 
lieve that  the  Indians  had  fire-arms.  To  the  persons  in  the  boat, 
it  had  the  appearance  of  the  firing  of  volleys  without  a  report. 


'* 


136 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


The  place  where  this  transaction  happened  lies  in  the  latitude 
of  6°  15'  south,  and  is  about  sixty-five  leagues  to  the  northeast 
of  Port  Saint  Augustine  or  Walche  Cape,  and  is  near  what  is 
called  in  the  charts  G.  de  la  Golta  de  St.  Bonaventura.  la 
every  part  of  the  coast  the  land  is  covered  with  a  vast  luxuri- 
auce  of  wood  and  herbage.  The  cocoa-nut,  the  bread-fruit,  and 
the  plantain-tree,  flourish  here  in  the  highest  perfection  ;  besides 
which,  the  country  abounds  with  most  of  the  trees,  shrubs,  and 
plants,  that  are  common  to  the  South  Sea  islands.  New  Zealand 
and  New  Holland. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Cook  and  his  party  had  returned  to  the  ship, 
our  voyagers  made  sail  to  the  westward,  the  lieutenant  having 
resolved  to  spend  no  more  time  upon  this  coast ;  a  resolution 
which  was  greatly  to  the  satisfaction  of  a  very  considerable  md.- 
jority  of  his  people.  Some  of  the  oflficcrs,  indeed,  were  particu- 
larly urgent  that  a  number  of  men  might  be  sent  ashore,  to  cut 
down  cocoa-nut  trees  for  the  sake  of  their  fruit.  This,  however 
our  commander  absolutely  refused,  as  equally  unjust  and  cruel. 
It  was  morally  certain,  from  the  preceding  behaviour  of  the  na- 
tives, that  if  their  property  had  been  invaded  they  would  have 
made  a  vigorous  effort  to  defend  it ;  in  which  case  the  lives  of 
many  of  them  must  have  been  sacrificed,  and  perhaps,  too, 
several  of  the  English  would  have  fallen  in  the  contest.  The 
necessity  of  a  quarrel  with  the  Indians  would  have  been  regret- 
ted by  the  lieutenant,  even  if  he  had  been  impelled  to  it  by  a 
want  of  the  necessaries  of  life  ;  but  to  engage  in  it  for  the  tran- 
sient gratification  that  would  arise  from  obtaining  two  or  three 
"■  hundred  green  cocoa-nuts,  appeared  in  his  view  highly  criminal. 
The  same  calamity,  at  least  with  regard  *"»  the  natives,  would 
probably  have  occurred,  if  he  had  sought  for  any  other  place  on  the 
coast  to  the  northward  and  westward,  where  the  ship  might  have 
lain  so  near  the  shore  as  to  cover  his  people  with  the  guns  when 
they  had  landed.  Besides,  there  was  cause  to  believe,  that  before 
such  a  place  could  have  been  found,  our  navigators  would  have 


'HI 
1 


FIRST   VOYAGE, 


137 


been  carried  so  far  to  the  westward,  as  to  be  obliged  to  go  to 
Batavia  on  the  north  side  of  Java.  This,  in  Mr.  Cook's  opinion, 
would  not  have  been  so  safe  a  passage  as  that  to  the  south  of 
Java,  through  the  straits  of  Sunda.  Another  reason  for  his 
making  the  best  of  his  way  to  Batavia,  was  the  leakiness  of  the 
vessel,  which  rendered  it  doubtful  whether  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  heave  her  down  when  she  arrived  at  that  port.  Our 
commander's  resolution  was  farther  confirmed  by  the  considera- 
tion that  no  discovery  could  be  expected  in  seas  which  had  al- 
ready been  navigated,  and  where  the  coast  had  been  sufficiently 
described  both  by  Spanish  and  Dutch  geographers,  and  especially 
by  the  latter.  The  only  merit  claimed  by  the  lieutenant,  in  this 
part  of  his  voyage,  was  the  having  established  it  as  a  fact  be- 
yond all  controversy,  that  New  Holland  and  New  Guinea  are 
two  distinct  countries. 

Without  staying,  therefore,  on  the  coast  of  New  Guinea,  the 
Endeavour,  on  the  same  day,  directed  her  course  to  the  westward, 
in  pursuing  which,  Mr.  Cook  had  an  opportunity  of  rectifying 
the  errors  of  former  navigators.  Very  early  in  the  morning  of 
the  6th  of  Septen.  ar  our  voyagers  passed  a  small  island,  which 
lay  to  the  north-northwest,  and  at  day-break  they  discovered 
another  low  island,  extending  from  that  quarter  to  north-north- 
east. Upon  the  last  island,  which  appeared  to  be  of  considera 
ble  extent,  the  lieutenant  would  have  landed  to  examine  its  pro 
duce,  if  the  wind  had  not  blown  so  fresh  as  to  render  his  de- 
sign impractiable.  Unless  these  two  islands  belong  to  the  Arrou 
islands,  thry  have  no  place  in  the  charts  ;  and  if  they  do  belong 
to  the  Arrou  islands,  they  are  laid  down  at  too  great  a  distance 
from  New  Guinea.  Some  other  land  which  was  seen  this  day, 
ought,  by  its  distance  from  New  Guinea,  to  have  been  part  of 
the  Arrou  islands  ;  but  if  any  dependance  can  be  placed  on  for 
mer  charts,  it  lies  a  degree  farther  to  the  south. 

On  the  7th,  when  the  ship  was  in  latitude  9°  30'  south,  and 
bugitude  229°  34'  west,  our  people  ought  to  have  been  in  sight 


j:^(^ 


138 


CAPTAIN   COOK  « 


of  the  Weasel  Isles,  which,  in  the  charts,  are  laid  down  at  the 
distance  of  twenty  or  twenty-five  leagues  from  the  coast  of  New 
Holland.  But  as  oar  commander  saw  nothing  of  them,  he  con- 
cluded that  they  must  have  been  placed  erroneously.  Nor  will 
this  be  deemed  surprising,  when  it  is  considered,  that  not  only 
these  islands,  but  the  coast  which  bounds  this  sea,  have  been  ex- 
plored at  difiFerent  times,  and  by  diflferent  persons,  who  had  not 
all  the  requisites  for  keeping  accurate  journals  which  are  now 
possessed,  and  whose  various  discoveries  have  been  delineated 
upon  charts  by  others,  perhaps  at  the  distance  of  more  than  a 
century  after  such  discoveries  had  been  made. 

In  pursuing  their  course,  our  navigators  passed  the  islands  of 
Timor,  Tiraor-lavet,  Rottee,  and  Seman.  While  they  were  near 
the  two  latter  islands,  they  observed,  about  ten  o'clock  at  night 
on  the  16th  of  the  month,  a  phenomenon  in  the  heavens,  which 
in  many  particulars  resembled  the  Aurora  Borealis,  though  in 
others  it  was  very  different.  It  consisted  of  a  dull,  reddish 
light,  which  reached  about  twenty  degrees  above  the  horizon  ; 
and  though  its  extent  at  times  varied  much,  it  never  comprehend- 
ed less  than  eight  or  ten  points  of  the  compass.  Through  and 
out  of  the  general  appearance,  there  passed  rays  of  light  of  a 
brighter  colour,  which  vanished  and  were  renewed  nearly  in  the 
same  manner  as  those  of  Aurora  Borealis,  but  entirely  without 
the  tremulous  or  vibratory  motion  which  is  seen  in  that  phenom- 
enon. The  body  of  this  light  bore  south-southeast  from  the 
ship,  and  continued  without  any  diminution  of  its  brightness, 
till  twelwe  o'clock,  and  probably  a  longer  time,  as  the  gentle- 
men were  prevented  from  observing  it  farther  by  their  retiring 
to  sleep. 

By  the  16th,  Lieutenant  Cook  had  gotten  clear  of  all  the 
islands  which  had  then  been  laid  down  in  the  maps  as  situated 
between  Timor  and  Java,  and  did  not  expect  to  meet  with  any 
other  in  that  quarter.  But  the  next  morning  an  island  was  seen 
bearing  weet-southwest,  and  at  first  he  believed  he  had  made  a 


FIRST    VOYAGK. 


139 


new  discovery.  As  soon  as  our  voyagers  bad  come  close  in  with 
the  north  side  of  it,  they  had  the  pleasing  prospect  of  houses 
and  cocoa-nut  trees,  and  of  what  still  more  agreeably  surprised 
them,  numerous  flocks  of  sheep.  Many  of  the  people  on  board 
vere  at  this  time  in  a  bad  state  of  hefilth,  and  no  small 
number  of  them  had  been  dissatisfied  with  the  lieutenant  for 
not  having  touched  at  Timor.  He  readily  embraced,  therefore, 
the  opportunity  of  landing  at  a  place  which  appeared  so  well 
calculated  to  supply  the  necessities  of  the  company,  and  to  ro^ 
move  both  the  sickness  and  the  discontent  which  had  spread 
among  them.  This  place  proved  to  be  the  island  of  Savu,  where 
a  settlement  had  lately  been  made  by  the  Dutch. 

The  great  design  of  our  commander  was  to  obtain  provisions, 
which  after  some  difficulty  and  some  jealousy  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Lange,  the  Dutch  resident,  were  procured.  These  provisions 
were  nine  buffaloes,  six  sheep,  three  hogs,  thirty  dozen  of  fowls, 
many  dozens  of  eggs,  some  cocoa-nuts,  a  few  limes,  a  little  gar- 
lic, and  several  hundred  gallons  of  palm  syrup.  In  obtaining 
these  refreshments  at  a  reasonable  price,  the  English  were  not  a 
little  assisted  by  an  old  Indian,  who  appeared  to  be  a  person  of 
considerable  authority  under  the  king  of  the  country.  The 
lieutenant  and  his  friends  were  one  day  very  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  the  king  himself,  though  the  royal  etiquette  did  not 
permit  his  majesty  to  partake  of  the  banquet. 

So  little,  in  general,  had  the  island  of  Savu  been  known,  that 
Mr.  Cook  had  never  seen  a  map  or  chart  in  which  it  is  clearly  or 
accurately  laid  down.  The  middle  of  it  lies  in  about  the  latitude 
of  10°  35'  south,  and  loi.gitude  237°  30'  west  ;  and  from  the 
ship  it  presented  a  prospect,  than  which  nothing  can  be  more 
beautiful.  This  prospect,  from  the  verdure  and  culture  of  the 
country,  from  the  hills  riclily  clothed  which  rise  in  a  gentle  and  re- 
gular ascent,  and  irom  the  stateliness  and  beauty  of  the  trees,  is 
lelightful  to  a  degree  that  can  scarcely  be  conceived  by  the 
most  lively  imagination.     With  regard  to  the  productions  and 


1 


140 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


.iif'.|i 


natives  of  the  island,  the  account  which  our  navigators  were 
enabled  to  give  of  them,  and  which  is  copious  and  entertaining, 
was,  in  a  great  measure,  derived  from  the  information  of  Mr.  Lange. 

An  extraordinary  relation  is  given  of  the  morals  of  the  people 
of  this  island,  and  which,  if  true,  must  fill  every  virtuous  mind 
with  pleasure.  Their  characters  and  conduct  are  represented 
as  irreproachable,  even  upon  the  principles  of  Christianity. 
Though  no  man  is  permitted  to  have  more  than  one  wife,  an 
illicit  commerce  between  the  sexes  is  scarcely  knowi  .lOng 
them.  Instances  of  theft  are  very  rare,  and  so  far  are  they 
from  revenging  a  supposed  injury  by  murder,  that  when  any 
difference  arises  between  them,  they  immediately  and  implicitly 
refer  it  to  the  determination  of  their  king.  They  will  not  so  much 
as  make  it  the  subject  of  private  debate,  lest  they  should  hence  be 
provoked  to  resentment  and  ill  will.  Their  delicacy  and  clean- 
liness are  suited  to  the  purity  of  their  morals.  From  the  speci- 
men which  is  given  of  the  language  of  Savu,  it  appears  to  have 
some  affinity  with  that  of  the  South  Sea  islands.  Many  of  the 
words  are  exactly  the  same,  and  the  terras  of  numbers  are  de- 
rived from  the  same  origin. 

On  the  21st  of  September,  our  navigators  got  under  sail,  and 
having  pursued  their  voyage  till  the  1st  of  October,  on  that  day 
they  came  within  sight  of  the  island  of  Java.  During  their 
course  from  Savu,  Lieutenant  Cook  allowed  twenty  minutes  a  day 
for  the  westerly  current,  which  he  concluded  must  run  strong 
at  this  time,  especially  on  the  coast  of  Java  ;  and  accordingly 
he  found  that  this  allowance  was  exactly  equivalent  to  the  effect 
of  the  current  upon  the  ship.  Such  was  the  sagacity  of  our  com- 
mander's judgment  in  whatever  related  to  navigation. 

On  the  2d,  two  Dutch  ships  being  seen  to  lie  off  Anger  Point, 
the  lieutenant  sent  Mr.  Hicks  on  board  one  of  them  to  inquire 
news  concerning  England,  from  which  our  people  had  so  long 
been  absent.  Mr.  Ilicks  brought  back  the  agreeable  intelligence 
that  the  Swallow,  commanded  by  Captain  Carteret,  had  been  at 


FIRST   VOTAOR 


141 


Batavia  iyro  years  before.  On  the  morning  of  the  5t>i,  a  prow 
came  along  side  the  Endeavour,  with  a  Dutoh  oQicer,  who  sent 
down  to  Mr.  Cook  a  printed  paper  in  English,  duplicates  of 
which  he  had  in  other  languages.  This  paper  was  regularly 
signed,  in  the  name  of  the  governor  and  council  of  the  Indies,  by 
their  secretary,  and  contained  nine  questions,  very  ill  expressed, 
two  of  which  only  the  lieutenant  thought  proper  to  answer. 
These  were  what  regarded  the  nation  and  name  of  his  vessel, 
and  whither  she  was  bound.  On  the  9th,  our  voyagers  stood  in 
for  Batavia  Road,  where  they  found  the  Ilarcourt  Indiaman  from 
England,  two  English  private  traders,  and  a  number  of  Dutch 
ships.  Immediately  a  boat  came  on  board  the  Endeavour,  and 
the  officer  who  commanded  having  inquired  who  our  people  were, 
and  whence  they  came,  instantly  returned  with  such  answers  as 
were  given  him.  In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Cook  sent  a  lieutenant 
ashore  to  acquaint  the  governor  of  his  arrival,  and  to  make  an 
apology  for  not  having  saluted  ;  a  ceremony  he  had  judged 
better  to  omit,  as  he  could  only  make  use  of  three  guns,  except- 
ing the  swivels,  which  he  was  of  opinion  would  not  be 
heard. 

It  being  universally  agreed  that  the  ship  could  not  safely  pro- 
ceed to  Europe  without  an  examination  of  her  bottom,  our  com- 
mander determined  to  apply  for  leave  to  heave  her  down  at 
Batavia  ;  and  for  this  purpose  he  drew  up  a  request  in  writing, 
which,  after  he  had  waited  first  upon  the  governor-general,  and 
then  upon  the  council,  was  readily  complied  with,  and  ho  waii 
told  that  he  should  have  everything  he  wanted. 

In  the  evening  of  the  10th,  there  was  a  dreadful  storm  of 
thunder,  lightning,  and  rain,  during  which  the  main-mast  of  one 
of  the  Dutch  East  Indiamen  was  split  and  carried  away  by  the 
deck,  and  the  main-top-mast  and  top-gallant-mast  were  shivered 
to  pieces.  The  stroke  was  probably  directed  by  an  iron  spindle, 
which  was  at  the  main-top-gallant-mast-head.  As  this  ship  lay 
very  near  the  Endeavour,  she  could  scarcely  have  avoided  sharing 


!t 


I  ti    : ■; 


m ! 


ill 


I  '1. 


i.      ,'i 


iili 

m 


142 


CAFFAIN    COOK  8 


*>  '■* 


the  same  fate,  had  it  not  been  for  tlie  conducting  ^haln,  which  foi 
tunatcly  had  been  just  gotten  up,  and  which  convoyed  the  lightning 
over  the  side  of  the  vessel.  But  though  she  escaped  the  light' 
ning,  the  explosion  shook  her  like  an  earthquake  ;  and  the  cabin 
at  the  same  time  appeared  like  a  line  of  fire.  Mr.  Cook  has 
embraced  this  occasion  of  earnestly  recommending  similar  chains 
to  every  ship,  and  hath  expressed  his  hope  that  all  who  read  his 
narrative  will  be  warned  against  having  an  iron  spindle  at  the 
mast-head. 

The  English  gentlemen  had  taken  up  their  lodging  and  board* 
ing  at  a  hotel,  or  kind  of  inn,  kept  by  the  order  of  government. 
Here  they  met  with  those  impositions  in  point  of  expense  and 
treatment,  which  are  too  connnon  to  admit  of  much  surprise.  It 
was  not  long,  however,  that  they  submitted  to  ill  usage.  By  a 
farther  acquaintance  with  the  manner  of  dealing  with  their  host, 
and  by  sj)irited  remonstrances,  they  procured  a  better  furnished 
table.  Mr.  Banks  in  a  few  days  hired  a  small  house  for  himself 
and  his  party  ;  and  as  soon  as  he  was  settled  in  his  new  habita- 
tion, sent  for  Tupia,  who  had  hitherto  continued  on  board  on 
account  of  sickness.  When  he  quitted  the  ship  and  after  he 
came  into  the  boat,  he  was  exceedingly  lifeless  and  dejected  ;  but 
no  sooner  did  he  enter  the  town,  than  he  appeared  to  be  inspired 
with  another  soul.  A  scene  so  entirely  new  and  extraordinary 
filled  him  with  amazement.  The  houses,  carriages,  streets, 
people,  and  a  multiplicity  of  other  objects,  rusiiiiig  upon  him  at 
once,  produced  an  effect  similar  to  what  is  ascribed  to  enchant- 
ment. His  boy,  Tayeto,  expressed  his  wonder  and  delight  in  a 
still  more  rapturous  manner.  He  danced  along  the  streets  in  a 
kind  of  ecstasy,  examining  every  object  with  a  restless  and  eager 
curiosity,  which  was  excited  and  gratified  every  moment.  Tupia's 
attention  was  particularly  excited  by  the  various  dresses  of  the 
passing  multitude  ;  and  when  he  was  informed  that  at  Batavia 
every  one  wore  the  dress  of  his  own  country,  he  ex{)ressed  his 
iesire  of  appearing  in  the  garb  of  Otaheite.     Accordingly,  South 


FIK8T    VOYAGE. 


143 


Sea  cloth  being  sent  for  from  the  ship,  he  equipped  himself  with 
great  expedition  and  dexterity. 

Lieutenant  Cook  imagined  that  at  Batavia  he  hIiouUI  find  if. 
easy  to  take  up  what  money  he  might  want  for  repairing  and 
refitting  the  Endeavour  ;  but  in  this  he  was  mistaken.  Mo 
private  person  could  be  found  who  had  ability  and  inclination  to 
furnish  the  sum  which  was  necessary.  In  this  exigency  the  lieu- 
tenant had  recourse,  by  a  written  request  to  the  governor,  from 
whom  he  obtained  an  order  for  being  supplied  out  of  the  Dutch 
company's  treasury. 

When  our  voyagers  had  been  only  nine  days  at  Batavia, 
they  began  to  feel  the  fatal  eflFects  of  the  climate  and  situa- 
tion. Tupia,  after  his  first  flow  of  spirits  had  subsided,  grew 
every  day  worse  and  worse,  and  Tayeto  was  seized  with  an 
inflammation  upon  his  lungs.  Mr.  Bunks  and  Dr.  Solander  were 
attacked  by  fevers,  and  in  a  little  time  almost  every  person,  both 
on  board  and  on  shore,  was  sick.  The  distress  of  our  people  was 
indeed  very  great,  and  the  prospect  before  them  discouraging  in 
the  highest  degree.  Tupia,  being  desirous  of  breathing  a  freer 
air  than  among  the  numerous  houses  that  obstructed  it  ashore, 
had  a  tent  erected  for  him  on  Cooper's  Island,  to  which  he  was 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Banks,  who  attended  this  poor  Indian  with 
the  greatest  humanity,  till  he  was  rendered  incapable  of  doing  it 
by  the  violent  increase  of  his  own  disorder.  On  the  5th  of 
November,  Mr.  Monkhouse,  the  surgeon  of  the  ship,  a  sensible, 
skilful  man,  whose  loss  was  not  a  little  aggravated  by  the  situation 
of  the  English,  fell  the  first  sacrifice  to  this  fatal  country.  Tay- 
eto died  on  the  9th,  and  Tupia,  who  loved  him  with  the  tender- 
ness of  a  parent,  sunk  at  once  after  the  loss  of  the  boy,  and 
survived  hun  only  a  few  days.  Tlie  disorders  of  Mr.  Banks  and 
Dr.  Solander  grew  to  such  a  height  that  the  physicians  declared 
tliey  had  no  chance  of  preserving  their  lives  but  by  removinjpnlo 
the  country.  Accordingly,  a  house  was  hired  for  them  at  the 
distance  of  about  two  milf  s  from  the  town  j  where,  in  cons«jqj«euce 


i: 


I 

I 

I 


M 


ti'i" 


'ii 


144 


CAPTAIN    COOK 'a 


or  enjoying  &  purer  air,  and  being  better  nnrsed  by  t^^o  Malayan 
women  wlioiu  they  had  brought,  they  recovered  by  slow  degrees. 
At  hingth  Lieutenant  Cooic  was  himself  taken  ill,  and  out  of 
the  whole  ship's  company  not  more  than  ten  were  able  to  do 
duty. 

In  the  midst  of  these  distresses  our  commander  was  diligently 
and  vigourously  attentive  to  the  repair  of  his  vessel.  When  her 
bottom  came  to  be  examined,  she  was  found  to  be  in  a  worse 
condition  than  had  been  apprehended.  Her  false  keel  and  main 
keel  were  both  of  them  greatly  injured  ;  a  large  quantity  of  the 
sheathing  was  torn  off,  and  among  several  planks  which  were 
much  damaged,  two  of  them  and  the  half  of  a  third  were  so'  worn 
for  the  length  of  six  feet,  that  they  were  not  above  the  eighth 
part  of  an  inch  in  thickness  ;  and  here  the  worms  had  made  way 
quite  into  the  timbers.  In  this  state  the  Endeavour  had  sailed 
many  huudred  leagues,  in  a  quarter  of  the  globe  where  naviga- 
tion is  dangerous  in  the  highest  degree.  It  was  happy  for  our 
voyagers  that  they  were  ignorant  of  their  perilous  situation  ;  for 
it  must  have  deeply  affected  tlicm  to  have  known  that  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  was  thinner  than  the 
sole  of  a  shoe,  and  that  all  their  lives  depended  upou  so 
slight  and  fragile  a  barrier  between  them  and  the  unfathomable 
ocean. 

The  repair  of  the  Endeavour  was  carried  on  very  much  to  Mr. 
Cook's  satisfaction.  In  justice  to  the  Dutch  officers  and  work- 
men, he  hath  declared,  that  in  his  opinion,  there  was  not  a 
marine  yard  in  the  world  where  a  ship  can  be  laid  with  more 
convenience,  safety,  and  despatch,  or  repaired  with  greater  dili- 
gence and  skill.  He  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  manner 
of  heaving  down  by  two  masts,  and  gives  it  a  decided  preference 
to  the  method  which  had  hitherto  been  practised  by  the  English. 
The  lieutenant  was  not  one  of  those  on  whom  the  bigotry  could 
be  charged  of  adhering  to  old  customs,  in  opposition  to  the 
dictates  of  reason  and  experience. 


FIRST   VOYAnE. 


115 


K  , 


Hy  the  8th  of  Doccnibor  the  I'rulcavour  was  perfectly  rcfittod. 
From  that  time  to  tlio  24th,  our  people  were  employed  in  com- 
p]etiu<jr  her  Htock  of  water,  provisions,  and  stores,  in  erecting 
ionic  new  pumps,  and  in  variou?)  other  necessary  operations.  All 
this  businiiss  would  have  been  effected  tnuch  sooner  if  it  had  not 
been  retarded  by  the  general  sickness  of  the  men. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  24th  our  commander  took  leave  of  the 
governor  of  Hatavia,  and  of  several  other  gentlemen  belonging  to 
the  plice,  with  whom  he  had  formed  connections,  and  to  whom 
he  had  been  greatly  obliged  for  their  civilities  and  assistance. 
In  the  meanwhile  an  accident  intervened  which  might  have  been 
attended  with  disagreeable  eff'ects.  A  seaman,  who  had  run 
away  from  one  of  the  Dutch  ships  in  the  road,  entered  on  board 
the  Endeavour.  Upon  his  being  reclaimed  as  a  subject  of  Hol- 
land, Mr.  Cook,  who  was  on  shore,  declared  that  if  the  uian 
appeared  to  be  a  Dutchman,  h  should  certainly  be  delivered  up. 
When,  however,  the  order  was  carried  to  Mr.  Hicks,  who  com- 
manded on  board,  he  refused  to  surrender  the  seaman,  alleging 
that  he  was  a  subject  of  Great  Britain,  born  in  Ireland.  In  this 
conduct  Mr.  Ilicks  acted  in  perfect  conformity  to  the  lieutenant's 
intention  and  directions.  The  captain  of  the  Dutch  vessel,  in 
the  next  place,  by  a  message  from  the  governor-general,  demanded 
the  man  as  a  subject  of  Denmark.  To  this  Mr.  Cook  replied, 
that  there  must  be  some  mistake  in  the  general's  message,  since 
he  would  never  demand  of  him  a  Danish  seaman,  whose  only 
crime  was  that  of  preferring  the  English  to  the  Dutch  service. 
At  the  same  time  the  lieutenant  added,  that  to  show  the  sincerity 
of  his  desire  to  avoid  disputes,  if  the  man  was  a  Dane  he  should 
be  delivered  up  as  a  courtesy;  but  that  if  he  appeared  to  be  an 
English  subject,  he  should  be  kept  at  all  events.  Soon  after  a 
letter  was  brought  from  Mr.  Hicks,  containing  indubitable  proofs 
that  the  seaman  in  question  was  a  subject  of  his  Britannic  majesty. 
This  letter  Mr.  Cook  sent  to  the  governor,  with  an  assurance 
to  his  excellency  that  he  would  not  part  with  the  man  on  any 


|i.  r 


''•'I 


'^r 


''I,', 


116 


CAPTAIN    cook's 


terms.  A  conduct  so  firm  and  decisive  produced  the  desired 
eflect,  no  more  being  heard  of  the  affair. 

In  the  evening  of  the  25th,  our  commander  went  on  board, 
together  with  Mr.  Banks  and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  who  had 
resided  constantly  on  shore.  The  gentlemen,  though  considera- 
bly better,  were  far  from  being  perfectly  recovered.  At  this 
time  the  sick  persons  in  the  ship  amounted  to  forty,  and  the  rest 
of  the  company  were  in  a  very  feeble  condition.  It  was  remark- 
able that  every  individual  had  been  ill  excepting  the  sail-maker, 
who  was  an  old  man  between  seventy  and  eighty  years  of  age, 
and  who  was  drunk  every  day  during  the  residence  of  our  people 
at  Batavia.  Three  seamen  and  Mr.  Green's  servant  died,  besides 
the  surgeon,  Tupia  and  Tayeto.  Tupia  did  not  entirely  fall  a 
sacrifice  to  xhe  unwholesome,  stagnant,  and  putrid  air  of  the 
country.  As  he  had  been  accustomed  from  his  birth  to  subsist 
chiefly  upon  vegetable  food,  and  particularly  on  ripe  fruit,  he 
soon  contracted  the  disorders  which  are  incident  to  a  sea  life, 
and  would  probably  have  sunk  under  them  before  the  voyage  of 
the  English  could  have  been  completed,  even  if  they  had  not 
been  obliged  to  go  to  Batavia  to  refit  their  vessel. 

Our  navigators  did  not  stay  at  this  place  without  gaining  an 
extensive  acquaintance  with  the  productions  of  the  country  and 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabitants.  The  information 
which  was  obtained  on  these  heads  will  be  found  to  constitute  a 
very  valuable  addition  to  what  was  heretofore  known  upon  the 
subject. 

On  Thursday,  the  27  th  of  December,  the  Endeavour  stood  out 
to  sea;  and  on  the  5th  of  January,  1771,  she  came  to  an  anchor 
under  the  southeast  side  of  Prince's  Island.  The  design  of  this 
was  to  obtain  a  recruit  of  wood  and  water,  and  to  procure  some 
refreshments  for  the  sick,  many  of  whom  had  become  muck 
worse  than  they  were  when  they  left  Batavia.  As  soon  as  the 
vessel  was  secured,  the  lieutenant,  Mr.  Banks,  and  Dr.  Solander, 
went  on  shore,  and  were  conducted  by  some  Indians  they  mot 


FIRST  VOYAGE. 


147 


witl  to  a  person  who  was  represented  to  be  the  king  of  tho 
country.  After  exchanging  a  few  compliments  with  his  majesty, 
the  gentlemen  proceeded  to  busiaess,  but  could  not  immediately 
come  to  a  settlement  with  him  in  respect  to  the  price  of  turtle. 
They  were  more  successful  in  their  search  of  a  watering-place, 
having  found  water  conveniently  .situated,  and  which  they  had 
reason  to  believe  would  prove  got*'!.  As  they  were  going  oflF 
some  of  the  natives  sold  them  three  turtles,  under  a  promise 
that  the  king  sboiild  not  be  informed  of  the  transaction. 

On  the  next  day  a  traflBc  was  established  with  the  Indians 
upon  such  terms  as  were  oflFered  by  the  English,  so  tnat  by  night 
our  people  had  plenty  of  turtle.  The  three  which  had  been  pur- 
chased the  evening  before,  were  in  the  meantime  dressed  for 
the  ship's  company,  who,  excepting  on  the  preceding  day,  had 
not,  for  nearly  the  space  of  four  months,  been  once  served  with 
salt  provisions.  Mr.  Banks,  in  the  evening,  paid  hie  respects  to 
the  king  at  his  palace,  which  was  situated  in  the  middle  of  a 
rice-field.  His  majesty  was  busily  employed  in  dressing  his  own 
supper  J  but  this  did  not  prevent  him  from  receiving  his  visitant 
in  a  very  gracious  manner.  During  the  following  days,  the  com- 
merce with  the  natives  for  provisions  was  continued;  in  the 
course  of  which  they  brought  down  to  the  trading  place,  not 
only  a  quantity  of  turtle,  but  fowls,  fish,  monkeys,  small  deer, 
and  some  vegetables. 

On  the  evenirig  of  the  11th,  when  Mr.  Cook  went  on  shore  to 
see  how  those  of  his  people  conducted  their  business,  who  were 
employed  in  v, coding  and  watering,  he  was  informed  that  an  axe 
had  been  stolen.  As  it  was  a  matter  of  consequence  to  prevent 
others  from  being  encouraged  to  commit  thefts  of  the  like  kind, 
he  resolved  not  to  pass  over  the  ofi'encc,  but  to  insist  upon 
redress  from  the  king.  Accordingly,  after  some  altercation,  his 
majesty  promised  that  the  axe  should  be  restored  in  the  morning, 
and  the  promise  was  faithfully  perfo**      i. 

On  the  15th,  our  commander  weighed,  and  stood  out  for  S3a. 


mil 


148 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


Prince's  Island,  where  he  lay  about  ten  days,  was  formerly  much 
frequented  by  the  India  ships  of  many  nations,  and  especially 
those  of  England,  but  it  had  lately  been  forsaken,  on  account  of 
the  supposed  badness  of  its  water.  This  supposition,  however, 
arose  from  a  want  of  duly  examining  the  brook  by  which  the 
water  is  supplied.  It  is,  indeed,  brackish  at  the  lower  part  of 
the  brook,  but  higher  up  it  will  be  found  excellent.  The  lieuten- 
ant, therefore,  was  clearly  of  opinion  that  Prince's  Island  is  a 
more  eligible  place  for  ships  to  touch  at,  than  either  I>iorth 
Island  or  New  Bay;  from  neither  of  which  places  any  consider- 
able quantity  of  other  rcjl'reshments  can  be  procured. 

As  the  Endeavour  proceeded  on  her  voyage  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  the  seeds  of  di)='j;:se,  which  had  been  received  at 
Batavia,  appeared  with  th»;  most  threatening  symptoms,  and 
reduced  our  navigators  to  a  very  melancholy  situation.  The 
ship  was,  in  fact,  nothing  better  than  an  hospital,  in  which  those 
who  could  go  about  were  not  sufficient  for  a  due  attendance 
upon  those  who  werA  gick.  Lest  the  water  which  had  beeu 
taken  in  at  Prince's  Island  should  have  had  any  share  in  adding 
to  the  disorder  of  the  men,  the  lieutenant  ordered  it  to  be  puri- 
fied with  lime;  and,  as  a  farther  remedy  against  infection,  he 
directed  all  the  parts  of  the  vessel  between  the  decks  to  be 
washed  with  vinegar.  The  malady  had  taken  too  deep  root  to 
be  speedily  eradicated.  Mr.  Banks  was  reduced  so  low  by  it, 
that  for  some  time  there  was  no  hope  of  his  life ;  and  so  fatal 
was  the  disease  to  many  others,  that  almost  every  night  a  dead 
body  was  committed  to  the  sea.  There  were  buried,  in  the 
course  of  about  six  weeks,  Mr.  Sporing,  a  gentleman  who  was 
one  of  Mr.  Buoks's  assistants;  Mr.  Parkinson,  his  natural  history 
painter ;  Mr.  Green,  the  astronomer ;  the  boatswain,  the  carpen- 
ter, and  his  mate;  Mr.  Monkhouse  the  midshipman,  another 
midshipman,  the  old  jolly  sail-maker  and  his  assistant,  the  ship's 
cook,  the  corporal  of  the  marines,  two  of  the  carpenter's  crew, 
and  nine  seamen.     In  all,  the  loss  amounted  to  three  and  twenty 


FmST   VOYAGE. 


149 


persons,  besides  the  seven  vrho  died  at  Batavia.  It  is  probable 
that  these  calamitous  events,  which  could  not  fail  of  making  a 
powerful  impression  on  the  mind  of  Lieutenant  Cor»k,  might  give 
occasion  to  hiei  turning  his  thoughts  more  zealously  to  those 
methods  of  preserving  the  health  of  reamen,  which  he  afterwards 
pursued  with  such  remarkable  success. 

On  Friday,  the  5th  of  March,  the  Endeavour  arrived  off  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope;  and  as  soon  as  she  was  brought  to  an 
rinchor,  our  commander  waited  upon  the  governor,  from  whom 
he  received  assurances  that  he  should  be  furnished  with  every 
supply  which  the  country  could  afford.  His  first  care  was  to 
provides  proper  place  for  the  sick,  whose  number  was  not  small; 
and  a  'louse  was  speedily  found,  where  it  was  agreed  that  they 
should  be  lodged  and  boarded  at  the  rate  of  two  shillings  a  day 
for  each  person. 

The  run  from  Java  Head  to  the  Cape  -^^  '^ood  Hope  did  not 
furnish  many  subjects  of  remark,  that  could  be  of  any  great  use 
to  future  voyagers.  Such  observations,  however,  as  occurred  to 
him,  the  lieutenant  has  been  careful  to  record,  not  being  willing 
to  omit  the  least  circumstance  that  may  contribute  to  the  safety 
and  facility  of  navigation. 

The  lieutenant,  having  lain  at  the  Cape  to  recover  the  sick, 
to  procure  stores,  and  to  refit  his  vessel,  till  the  14th  of  April, 
then  stood  out  of  the  bay  and  proceeded  on  his  voyage  home- 
ward. In  the  morning  of  the  29th,  he  croiised  his  first  meridian, 
having  circumnavigated  the  globe  in  the  direction  from  east  to 
west.  The  consequence  of  which  was,  that  he  lost  a  day,  an 
allowance  for  which  had  been  made  at  Batavia.  On  the  Ist  of 
May  he  arrived  at  St.  Helena,  where  he  stayed  till  the  4th  to 
refresh ;  during  which  time  Mr.  Banks  employed  himself  in  mak- 
ing the  complete  circuit  of  tl\e  island,  and  visiting  the  places 
mosi/  worthy  of  observation. 

The  manner  in  which  slaves  are  described  as  being  treated  in 
this  island,  must  be  mentioned  with  indignation.     According  to 


irj 


m 


i 


.1: 


m 


>.ii 


150 


CAPTAIN    cook's 


ii 


our  commandei 's  representation,  while  every  kind  of  labour  is 
performed  by  them,  they  are  not  furnished  either  with  horses  or 
with  any  of  the  various  machines  which  art  has  invented  to 
facilitate  their  tasks.     Carts  might  be  conveniently  used  in  some 
parts,  and  where  the  ground  is  too  steep  for  them,  wheel-barrows 
might  be  employed  to  great  advantage ;  and  yet  there  is  not  a 
wheel-barrow  in    the  whole   island.     Though  everything   con- 
veyed from  place  to  place  is  done  by  slaves  alone,  they  have  not 
the  simple  convenience  of  a  porter's  knot,  but  carry  their  burden 
upon  their  heads.     They  appeared  to  be  a  miserable  race,  worn 
out  by  the  united  operation  of  excessive  labour  and  ill  usage; 
and  Mr.  Cook  was  sorry  to  observe,  and  to  say,  that  instances 
of  wanton  cruelty  were  much  more  frequent  among  his  country- 
men at  St.  Helena,  than  among  the  Dutch,  who  are  generally 
reproached  with  want  of  humanity,  both   at  Batavia  and  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.    It  is  impossible  for  a  feeling  mind  to  avoid 
being  concerned  that  such  an  account  should  be  given  of  the 
conduct  of  any  who  are  entitled  to  the  name  of  Britons.     The 
lieutenant's  reproof,  if  just,  hath,  it  may  be  hoped,  long  before 
this,  reached  the  place,  and  produced  some  good  effect.*     If 
slavery  must  still  be  continued,  everything  ought  to  be  done 
which  can  tend  to  soften  it. 

When  our  commander  departed  from  St.  Helena,  on  the  4th, 
it  was  in  company  with  the  Portland  man  of  war,  and  twelve 
Indiamen.  With  this  fleet  he  continued  to  sail  till  the  10th, 
when,  perceiving  that  the  Endeavour  proceeded  much  more 
heavily  than  any  of  the  other  vessels,  and  that  she  was  not  likely 
to  get  home  so  soon  as  the  rest,  he  made  a  signal  to  speak  with 

*  Near  the  conclusion  of  Captain  Cook's  second  voyage,  there  is  the  following  abort 
note:  "In  the  account  given  of  St.  Helena,  in  the  narrative  of  my  former  voyage,  I 
find  some  mistakes.  Its  inbabitantfl  are  far  from  exercising  a  wanton  cruelty  over  their 
slaves;  and  they  have  bad  vhiiel  carriiifres  and  porter's  Icnota  tor  many  years."  This 
note  I  insert  with  pleasure.  Nevertheless,  I  cannot  think  that  the  lieutenant  could  have 
given  so  strong  a  representation  of  things,  i^  at  the  time  In  which  it  was  written  it  liad 
beou  wholly  without  foundation. 


FIRST   VOYAGE. 


151 


the  rortlantl.  Upon  this,  Captain  Elliott  himself  came  on  board, 
and  Mr.  Oook  delivered  to  him  the  comrDon  log-books  of  his  ship^ 
and  the  journals  of  some  of  the  oflScers.  The  Endeavour,  how- 
ever, kept  in  company  with  the  fleet  till  the  morning  of  the  23d, 
at  which  time  there  was  not  a  single  vessel  in  sight.  On  that 
day  died  Mr.  Hicks,  and  in  the  evening  his  body  was  committed 
to  the  sea,  with  the  usual  ceremonies.  Mr.  Charles  Clerke,  a 
young  man  extremely  well  qualified  for  the  station,  and  whose 
name  will  hereafter  frequently  occur,  received  an  order  from  Mr. 
Cook  to  act  as  lieutenant  in  Mr.  Hicks's  room. 

The  rigging  and  sails  of  the  ship  were  now  become  so  bad, 
that  something  was  continually  giving  way.  Nevertheless,  our 
commander  pursued  his  course  in  safety;  and,  on  the  10th  of 
June,  land,  which  proved  to  be  the  Lizard,  was  discovered  by 
Nicholas  Young,  the  boy  who  had  first  seen  New  Zealand.  On 
the  11th,  the  lieutenant  ran  up  the  channel.  At  six  the  next 
morning  he  passed  Beechy  Head,  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
game  day  he  came  to  an  anchor  in  the  Downs,  and  went  on 
shore  at  Deal. 

Thus  ended  Mr.  Cook's  first  voyage  round  the  world,  in  which 
he  had  gone  through  so  many  dangers,  explored  so  many  coun- 
tries, and  exhibited  the  strongest  proofs  of  his  possessing  an 
eminently  sagacious  and  active  mind — a  mind  that  was  equal  to 
every  perilous  enterprise,  and  to  the  boldest  and  most  saccessfiil 
efforts  of  navigation  and  discovery. 


i 


:W 


.     1  t  ,  J 


Ujil: 


..ill 


'  ';,  -.1. 


m 


1 


I 


152 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK  BETWEEN 


CHAPTER  III. 

ACCOUNT  OF  OAPTAIN   COOK   DURING   TOE   PERIOD   BETifEEN  HIS   FIRST 

AND   SECOND   VOVAQES. 

The  manner  in  which  Lieutenant  Cook  had  performed  his  cir- 
cumnavigation of  the  globe,  justly  entitled  him  to  the  protection 
of  government,  and  the  favour  of  his  sovereign.  Accordingly, 
he  was  promoted  to  be  a  commander  in  his  majesty's  navy,  by 
commission  bearing  date  on  the  29th  of  August,  1771.  Mr. 
Cook,  on  this  occasion,  from  a  certain  consciousness  of  his  own 
merit,  wished  to  have  been  appointed  a  post  captain.  But  the 
Earl  of  Sandwich,  who  was  now  at  the  head  of  the  Admiralty 
board,  though  he  had  the  greatest  regard  for  our  navigator, 
could  not  accede  to  his  request,  because  a  compliance  with  it 
would  have  been  inconsistent  with  the  order  of  the  naval  service. 
The  difference  was  in  point  of  rank  only,  and  not  of  advantage. 
A  commander  has  the  same  pay  as  a  post  captain,  and*  his 
authority  is  the  same  when  he  is  in  actual  employment.  The 
distinction  is  a  necessary  step  in  the  progress  to  the  higher 
honours  of  the  profession. 

It  cannot  be  doubted  but  that  the  president  and  council  of 
the  Royal  Society  were  highly  satisfied  with  the  manner  in  which 
the  transit  of  Venus  had  been  observed.  The  papers  of  Mr. 
Cook  and  Mr.  Green,  relative  to  this  subject,  were  put  into  the 
hands  of  the  astronomer  royal,  to  be  by  him  digested,  and  that 
he  might  deduce  from  them  the  important  consequences  to  science 
which  resulted  from  the  observation.  This  was  done  by  him 
with  an  accuracy  and  ability  becoming  his  high  knowledge  and 
character.  On  the  2l8t  of  May,  1772,  Captain  Cook  communi- 
pated  to  the  Royal  Sopiety,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Pr.  Maske 


niS   FIRST   AND   SECOND   VOYAGB. 


15S 


lyne,  an  "Account  of  the  flowing  of  the  Tidca  in  the  South  Sea, 
08  observed  on  board  of  his  3Iajesty'8  bark,  the  Endeavour." 

The  reputation  our  navigator  had  acquired  by  his  late  voyage 
was  deservedly  great;  and  the  desire  of  the  public  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  the  new  scenes  and  new  objects  which  were  now 
brought  to  light,  was  ardently  excited.  It  is  not  surprising, 
therefore,  that  different  attempts  were  made  to  satisfy  the  gen- 
eral curiosity.  There  soon  appeared  a  publication  entitled,  "A 
Journal  of  a  Voyage  round  the  World."  This  was  the  produc- 
tion of  some  person  who  had  been  upon  the  expedition ;  and, 
though  his  account  was  dry  and  imperfect,  it  served,  in  a  certain 
degree,  to  relieve  the  eagerness  of  inquiry.  The  journal  of 
Sydney  Parkinson,  draftsman  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  to  whom  it 
belonged  by  ample  purchase,  was  likewise  printed,  from  a  copy 
surreptitiously  obtained ;  but  an  injunction  from  the  Court  of 
Chancery  for  some  time  prevented  its  appearance.  This  work, 
though  dishonestly  given  to  the  world,  was  recommended  by 
plates.  But  it  was  Dr.  Hawkesworth's  account  of  Lieutenant 
Cook's  voyage  which  completely  gratified  the  public  curicisity. 
This  account,  which  was  written  by  authority,  was  drawn  up 
from  the  journal  of  the  lieutenant  and  the  papers  of  Sir  Joseph 
Banks ;  and,  besides  the  merit  of  the  composition,  derived  an 
extraordinary  advantage  from  the  number  and  excellence  of  its 
charts  and  engravings,  which  were  furnished  at  the  expense  of 
government.  The  large  price  given  by  the  booksellers  for  this 
work,  and  the  avidity  with  which  it  was  read,  displayed,  in  the 
strongest  light,  the  anxiety  of  the  nation  to  be  fully  informed  in 
everything  that  belonged  to  the  late  navigation  and   discov- 


eries. 


Captain  Cook,  during  his  voyage,  had  sailed  over  the  Pacific 
Ocean  in  many  of  those  latitudes  in  which  a  southern  continent 
had  been  expected  to  lie.  He  had  ascertained  that  neither  New 
Zealand  ncr  New  Holland  were  parts  of  such  a  continent.  But 
the  general  question  concerning  its  existence  had  not  been  dcter- 

7* 


■J 


J  64 


ACCOUNT   OF   CAPTAIN   COOK   BETWEEN 


mined  by  him,  nor  did  ho  go  out  for  that  purpose,  though  some 
of  the  reasons  on  which  the  notion  of  it  had  been  adopted,  were 
dispelled  in  the  course  of  his  navigation.     It  is  well  known  how 
fondly  the  idea  of  a  Terra  Australis  incognita  had  for  nearly  two 
centuries  been  entertained.     Many  plausible  philosophical  argu- 
ments have  been  urged  in  its  support,  and  many  facts  alleged  in 
its  favour.     The  writer  of  this  narrative  fully  remembers  how 
much  his  imagination  was  captivated  in  the  more  early  part  of 
his  life,  with  the  hypothesis  of  a  southern  continent.     He  has 
often  dwelt  upon  it  with  rapture,  i*nd  been  highly  delighted  with 
the  authors  who  contended  for  its  existence,  and  displayed  the 
mighty  con  Jiequences  which  would  result  from  its  being  discovered. 
Though  his  knowledge  was  infinitely  exceeded  by  that  of  some 
able  men  who  paid  a  particular  attentioni  to  the  subject,  he  did 
not  come  behind  them  in  the  sanguineness  of  his  hopes  and  expec- 
tation.    Everything,  however,  which  relates  to  science,  must  be 
separated  from  fancy,  and  brought  to  the  test  of  experiment: 
and  i^ere  was  an  experiment  richly  deserving  to  be  tried.     The 
object,  indeed,  was  of  peculiar  magnitude,  and  worthy  to  be  pur- 
sued by  a  great  prince  and  a  great  nation. 

Happily,  the  period  was  arrived  in  Britain  for  the  execution 
of  the  most  important  scientific  designs.  A  regard  to  matters 
of  this  kind,  though  so  honourable  to  crowned  heads,  had  here- 
tofore been  too  much  neglected  even  by  some  of  the  best  of  our 
princes.  Our  present  sovereign  had  already  distinguished  his  reign 
by  his  patronage  of  science  and  literature ;  but  the  beginnings 
which  had  hitherto  been  made  were  only  the  pledges  of  future 
munificence.  With  respect  to  the  object  now  in  view,  the  gra- 
cious dispositions  of  his  majesty  were  ardently  seconded  by  the 
noble  lord  who  had  bee  i  placed  at  the  head  of  the  board  of  ad- 
miralty. The  Earl  of  Sandwich  was  possessed  of  a  mind  which 
was  capable  of  compTchenduig  and  encouraging  the  most  enlarged 
views  and  schemes  with  regard  to  navigation  and  discovery. 
Accordingly,  it  was  by  his  particular  recoramendatron  that  a  re 


'■  t  '^ 


BI8   FIRST   AND   SECOND   VOYAQE. 


155 


UlO 


solution  was  formed  for  tbo  appointment  of  an  expedition,  finally 
to  determine  the  question  concerning  the  existence  of  a  southern 
continent.  Quiros  seems  to  have  been  the  first  person  who  had 
any  idea  that  such  a  continent  existed,  and  he  was  the  first  that 
was  sent  out  for  the  sole  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  fact.  He 
did  not  succeed  in  the  attempt;  and  the  attempts  of  various 
navigator*',  down  to  the  present  century,  were  equally  unsuc- 
cessful. 

When  the  design  of  accomplishing  this  great  object  was  re- 
solved upon,  it  did  not  admit  of  any  hesitation  by  whom  it  was 
to  be  carried  into  execution.  No  person  was  esteemed  equally 
qualified  with  Captain  Cook  for  conducting  an  enterprise,  the 
view  of  which  was  to  give  the  utmost  possible  extent  to  the  geo- 
graphy of  the  globe,  and  the  knowledge  of  navigation.  For  the 
greater  advantage  of  the  undertaking,  it  was  determined  that 
two  ships  should  be  employed ;  and  much  attention  was  paid  to 
the  choice  of  them,  and  to  their  equipment  for  the  service.  After 
mature  deliberation  by  the  navy  board,  during  which  particular 
regard  was  had  to  the  captain's  wisdom  and  experience,  it  was 
agreed  that  no  vessels  were  so  proper  for  discoveries  in  distant 
unknown  parts,  as  those  which  were  constructed  like  the  En- 
deavour. This  opinion  concurring  with  that  of  the  Earl  of 
Sandwich,  the  admiralty  came  to  a  resolution  that  two  ships 
should  be  provided  of  a  similar  construction.  Accordingly,  two 
vessels,  both  of  which  had  been  built  at  Whitby,  by  the  same 
person  who  built  the  Endeavour,  were  purchased  of  Captain 
William  Hammond,  of  Hull.  They  were  about  fourteen  or  six- 
teen months  old  at  the  time  when  they  were  bought,  and,  in 
Captain  Cook's  judgment,  were  as  well  adapted  to  the  intended 
service  as  if  they  had  been  expressly  constructed  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  largest  of  the  two,  which  consisted  of  four  hundred 
and  sixty-two  tons  burden,  was  named  the  Resolution.  To  the 
other,  which  was  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  tons  burden,  was 
given  the  name  of  tie  Adventure.     On  the  28th  of  November 


■■  m 


fllFlf 


m' 


li    ''''■^, 


'•If;'-;  M 


Vi 


156 


ACCOUNT   OP   CAPTAIN    COOK   BETWEEN 


1 


1771,  Captain  Cook  won  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  for- 
mer; and,  about  the  same  time,  Mr.  Tobias  Furneaux  was  pro- 
moted to  the  command  of  the  latter.  The  complement  of  the 
llcsolution,  including  officers  and  men,  was  fixed  at  a  hundred 
and  twelve  persons  j  and  that  of  the  Adventure,  at  eighty-one. 
In  the  equipment  of  these  ships,  every  circumstance  was  attended 
to  that  could  contribute  to  the  comfort  and  success  of  the  voyage. 
They  were  fitted  in  the  most  complete  manner,  and  supplied  with 
every  extraordinary  article  which  was  suggested  to  be  necessary 
or  useful.  Lord  Sandwich,  whose  zeal  was  indefatigable  upon 
this  occasion,  visited  the  vessels  from  time  to  time,  to  be  assured 
that  the  whole  equipment  was  agreeable  to  his  wishes,  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  those  who  were  to  engage  in  the  expedition. 
Nor  were  the  navy  and  victualling  boards  wanting  in  procuring 
for  the  ships  the  very  best  of  stores  and  provisions,  with  some 
alterations  in  the  species  of  them,  that  were  adapted  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  enterprise ;  besides  which,  there  was  an  ample  sup- 
ply of  antiscorbutic  articles,  such  as  malt,  sour  krout,  salted 
cabbage,  portable  broth,  saloup,  mustard,  marmalade  of  carrots, 
and  inspissated  juice  of  wort  and  beer. 

No  less  attention  was  paid  to  the  cause  of  science  in  general. 
The  admiralty  engaged  Mr.  William  Hodges,  an  excellent  land- 
scape painter,  to  embark  in  the  voyage,  in  order  to  make  draw- 
ings and  paintings  of  such  objects  as  could  not  so  well  be  com- 
prehended from  written  descriptions.  Mr.  John  Reinhold  For- 
ster  and  his  son  were  fixed  upon  to  explore  and  collect  the  natu- 
ral history  of  the  countries  which  might  be  visited,  and  an  am- 
ple sum  was  granted  by  parliament  for  the  purpose.  That  noth- 
ing might  be  wanting  to  accomplish  the  scientific  views  of  the 
expedition,  the  board  of  longitude  agreed  with  Mr.  William 
Wales  and  Mr.  William  Bayley,  to  make  astronomical  observa- 
tions, Mr.  Wales  was  stationed  in  the  Resolution,  and  Mr. 
Bayley  in  the  Adv3nture.  By  the  same  board  they  were  fur- 
nished with  the  best  of  instruments,  and  particularly  with  four 


HIS   FIRST   AND   SECOND   VOYAGE. 


167 


time-pieces,  three  constructed  by  Arnold,  and  one  by  Mr.  Ken- 
dal, on  Mr.  Harrison's  principles. 

Though  Captain  Cook  had  been  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  Resolution  on  the  28th  of  November,  1771,  such  were  the 
preparations  necessary  for  so  long  and  important  a  voyage,  and 
the  impediments  which  occasionally  and  unavoidably  occurred, 
that  the  ship  did  not  sail  from  Deptford  till  the  9th  of  April  fol- 
lowing, nor  did  she  leave  Long  Reach  till  the  10th  of  May.  In 
plying  down  the  river  it  was  found  necessary  to  put  into  Sheer- 
ness,  in  order  to  make  some  alterations  in  her  upper  works. 
These  the  officers  of  the  yard  were  directed  immediately  to  take 
in  hand ;  and  Lord  Sandwich  and  Sir  Hugh  Palliser  came  down 
to  see  them  executed  in  the  most  effectual  manner.  The  ship 
being  again  completed  for  sea  by  the  22d  of  June,  Captain 
Cook  on  that  day  sailed  from  Sheerness,  and,  on  the  3d  of  July, 
joined  the  Adventure  in  Plymouth  Sound.  Lord  Sandwich,  in 
his  return  from  a  visit  to  the  dockyards,  having  met  the  Resolu- 
tion on  the  preceding  evening,  his  lordship  and  Sir  Hugh  Palliser 
gave  the  last  mark  of  their  great  attention  to  the  object  of  the 
voyage,  by  coming  on  board,  to  assure  themselves  that  every 
thing  was  done  which  was  agreeable  to  our  commander's  wishes, 
and  that  his  vessel  was  equipped  entirely  to  his  satisfaction. 

At  Plyntwuth,  Captain  Cook  received  his  instructions;  with 
regard  to  which,  without  entering  into  a  minute  detail  of  them, 
it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  he  was  sent  out  upon  the  most  en- 
larged plan  of  discovery  that  is  known  in  the  history  of  naviga- 
tion. He  was  instructed  not  only  to  circumnavigate  the  whole 
globe,  but  to  circumnavigate  it  in  high  southern  latitudes, 
making  such  traverses,  from  time  to  time,  into  every  corner  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean  not  before  examined,  as  might  finally  and  ef- 
fectually resolve  the  much-agitated  question  about  the  existence 
of  a  southern  continent  in  any  part  of  the  southern  hemisphere, 
to  which  access  could  le  had  by  the  efforts  of  the  boldest  and 
most  skilful  navigators. 


li, 


Ml 


11. 


itt 


II 


m 


16g 


CAPTAIN  OOOK'I 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MARRAriVI    or    CAPTAIN    COOK's    'SECOND    VOTAQI    AROUND    THE 

WORD). 

On  the  13th  of  July,  Captain  Cook  sajled  from  Plymouth,  and 
on  tho  29th  of  the  same  month  anchored  in  Funchal  Road,  in 
the  island  of  Madeira.  Having  obtained  a  supply  of  water, 
wine,  and  other  necessaries,  at  that  island,  he  left  it  on  the  Ist 
of  August,  and  sailed  to  the  southward.  As  he  proceeded  in  his 
voyage  he  made  three  puncheons  of  beer  of  the  inspissated  juice 
of  malt;  and  the  liquor  produced  was  very  brisk  and  drinkable. 
The  heat  of  the  weather,  and  the  agitation  of  the  ship,  had 
hitherto  withstood  all  the  endeavours  of  our  people  to  prevent 
this  juice  from  being  in  a  high  state  of  fermentation.  If  it  could 
be  kept  from  fermenting,  it  would  be  a  most  valuable  article  at 
Bca. 

The  captain  having  found  that  his  stock  of  water  would  not 
last  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  without  putting  his  men  to  a 
scanty  allowance,  resolved  to  stop  at  St.  Jago,  one  of  the  Cape 
de  Verd  Islands,  for  a  supply.  At  Port  Praya,  in  this  island,  he 
anchored  on  the  10th  of  August,  and  by  the  14th  had  completed 
his  water  and  procured  some  other  refreshments,  upon  which  he 
set  sail  and  prosecuted  his  course.  He  embraced  the  occasion 
which  his  touching  at  St.  Jago  aflforded  him,  of  giving  such  a 
delineation  and  description  of  Port  Praya  and  of  the  supplies 
there  to  be  obtained,  as  might  be  of  service  to  future  navigators. 

On  the  20th  of  the  month,  the  rain  poured  down  upon  our 
Toyagers,  not  in  drops,  but  in  streams,  and  the  wind  at  the  same 
time  being  variable  and  rough,  the  people  were  obliged  to  attend 
BO  constantly  upon  the  decks,  that  few  of  them  escaped  being 


BEOOND  VOTAOB. 


159 


completely  soaked.  This  oircumstanco  is  mentioned  to  phow  the 
method  that  ^as  taken  by  Captain  Cook  to  preHervo  his  men 
from  the  evil  consequences  of  the  wet  to  which  they  had  been 
exposed.  lie  had  every  thing  to  fear  from  the  rain,  which  is  a 
great  promoter  of  sickness  in  hot  climates.  But  to  guard  against 
this  effect  he  pursued  some  hints  that  had  been  suggested  to  him 
by  Sir  Hugh  Palliser  and  Captain  Campbell,  and  took  care  that 
the  ship  should  be  aired  and  dried  with  fires  made  between  the 
decks,  and  that  the  damp  places  of  the  vessel  should  be  smoked ; 
beside  which,  the  people  were  ordered  to  air  their  bedding,  and 
to  wash  and  dry  their  clothes  whenever  there  was  an  opportunity. 
The  result  of  these  precautions  was,  that  there  was  not  one  sick 
person  on  board  the  Resolution. 

Captain  Cook,  on  the  8th  of  September,  crossed  the  line  in 
the  longitude  of  8°  west,  and  proceeded  without  meeting  any 
thing  remarkable  till  the  11th  of  October,  when  at  6h.  24m.  12s. 
by  Mr.  Kendal's  watch,  the  moon  rose  about  four  digits  eclipsed; 
soon  after  which  the  gentlemen  prepared  to  observe  the  end  of 
the  eclipse.  The  observers  were  the  captain  himself,  and  Mr. 
Forster,  Mr  Wales,  Mr.  Pickersgill,  Mr.  Gilbert,  and  Mr.  Harvey. 

Our  commander  had  been  informed,  before  he  left  England, 
that  he  sailed  at  an  improper  season  of  the  year,  and  that  he 
should  meet  with  much  calm  weather,  near  and  under  the  line. 
But  though  such  weather  may  happen  in  some  years,  it  is  not 
ilways,  or  even  generally,  to  be  expected.  So  far  was  it  from 
being  the  case  with  Captain  Cook,  that  he  had  a  brisk  south- 
west wind  in  those  very  latitudes  where  the  calms  had  been 
predicted ;  nor  was  he  exposed  to  any  of  the  tornadoes  which 
are  so  much  spoken  of  by  other  navigators.  On  the  29th  of 
the  month,  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  at  night,  when  our 
Toyagers  were  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  whole  sea 
within  the  compass  of  their  sight  became  at  once,  as  it  were, 
illuminated.  The  captain  had  been  formerly  convinced,  by  Mr. 
Banks  "nd  Dr.  Solander,  that  such  appearances  in  the  ocean 


160 


CAPTAIN  COOK  8 


I 

! 


i 


were  occasioned  by  insects.  Mr.  Forster,  however,  seemed  dis- 
posed to  adopt  a  different  opinion.  To  determine  the  question, 
our  commander  orc'ered  some  buckets  of  water  to  be  drawn  up 
from  alongside  the  ship,  which  were  fou  lUil  of  an  innumerable 
^quantity  of  small  globular  insects,  about  the  size  of  a  common 
pin's  head,  and  quite  transparent.  Though  no  life  was  perceiyed 
in  them,  there  could  be  no  doubt  of  their  being  living  animals, 
when  in  their  own  proper  element  j  and  Mr.  Forster  became  now 
well  satisfied  that  they  were  the  cause  of  the  sea's  illumina- 
tion. 

On  the  30th,  the  Resolution  and  Adventure  anchored  in  Table 
Bay ;  soon  after  which  Captain  Cook  went  on  shore,  and,  accom- 
panied by  Captain  Furneaux  and  the  two  Mr.  Forsters,  waited 
on  Baron  Plattenberg,  the  governor  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
who  received  the  gentlemen  with  great  politeness,  and  promised 
them  every  assistance  the  place  could  afford.  From  him  our 
commander  learned  that  Lwo  French  ships  from  the  Mauritius, 
about  eight  months  before,  had  discovered  land  in  the  latitude 
of  48°  south,  along  which  they  sailed  forty  miles,  till  they  came 
to  a  bay,  into  which  they  were  upon  the  point  of  entering,  when 
they  were  driven  off  and  separated  in  a  hard  gale  of  wind. 
Previously  to  this  misfortune  they  had  lost  some  of  their  boats 
and  people  that  had  been  sent  to  sound  the  bay.  Captain  Cook 
was  also  informed  by  Baron  Plattenberg  that  in  the  month  of 
March  two  other  ships  from  the  island  of  Mauritius  had  touched 
at  the  Cape  in  their  way  to  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  where  they 
were  going  to  make  die^joveries,  under  the  command  of  M. 
Marion. 

From  the  healthy  condition  of  the  crews  both  of  the  Resolution 
and  Adventure,  it  was  imagined  by  the  captain  that  his  stay 
at  the  Cape  would  be  very  short.  But  the  necessity  of  waiting 
till  the  requisite  provisions  could  be  prepared  and  collected,  kept 
him  more  than  three  weeks  at  this  place;  which  time  was  im- 
proved by  him  in  ordering  both  the  ships  to  be  caulked  and 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


161 


painted,  and  in  taking  care  that,  in  every  respect;  their  condition 
should  be  as  good  as  when  they  left  England. 

On  the  22d  of  November  our  commander  sailed  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  proceeded  on  his  voyage  in  search  of  a 
southern  continent.  Having  gotten  clear  of  the  land,  he  directed 
his  course  for  Cape  Circumcision;  and  judging  that  cold  weather 
would  soon  approach,  he  ordered  slops  tj  be  served  to  such  of 
the  people  as  were  in  want  of  them,  and  gave  to  each  man  the 
fearnought  jacket  and  trowsers  allowed  by  the  admiralty.  On  the 
29th,  the  wind,  which  was  west-northwest,  increased  to  a  storm, 
that  continued,  with  some  few  intervals  of  moderate  weather,  till 
the  6th  of  December.  By  this  gale,  which  was  attended  with 
hail  and  rain,  and  which  blew  at  times  with  such  violence  that 
the  ships  could  carry  no  sails,  our  voyagers  were  driven  far  to 
the  eastward  of  their  intended  course,  and  no  hopes  were  left  to 
the  captain  of  reaching  Cape  Circumcision.  A  still  greater  mis- 
fortune was  the  loss  of  the  principal  part  of  the  live  stock  on 
board,  consisting  of  sheep,  hogs,  and  geese.  At  the  same  time 
the  sudden  transition  from  warm,  mild  weather,  to  weather 
which  was  extremely  cold  and  wet,  was  so  severely  felt  by  our 
people  that  it  was  necessary  to  make  some  addition  to  their 
allowance  of  spirits,  by  giving  each  of  them  a  dram  on  particular 
occasions. 

Our  navigators  on  the  10th  of  December  began  to  meet  with 
islands  of  ice.  One  of  these  islands  was  so  much  concealed  from 
them  by  the  haziness  of  the  weather,  accompanied  with  snow 
and  sleet,  that  they  were  steering  directly  towards  it,  and  did 
not  see  it  till  it  was  at  a  less  distance  than  that  of  a  mile.  Cap- 
tain Cook  judged  it  to  be  about  fifty  feet  high,  and  half  a  mile 
in  circuit.  It  was  flat  at  the  top,  and  its  sides  rose  in  a  perpen- 
dicular direction,  against  which  the  sea  broke  to  a  great  height. 
The  weather  continuing  to  be  hazy,  the  captain,  on  account  of 
the  ice  islands,  was  obliged  to  proceed  with  the  utmost  caution. 
Six  of  them  were  passed  on  the  12th,  some  of  which  were  nearly 


1(32 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


I 


two  miles  in  circuit,  and  sixty  feet  high ;  nevertheless,  such  were 
the  force  and  height  of  the  waves,  that  the  sea  broke  quite  over 
them.  Hence  was  exhibited  a  view  that  for  a  few  moments  w.is 
pleasing  to  the  eye,  but  the  pleasure  was  soon  swallowed  up  in 
the  horror  which  seized  upon  the  mind  from  the  prospect  of  dan- 
ger. For  if  a  ship  should  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  get  on  the 
weather  side  of  one  of  these  islands,  she  would  be  dashed  to 
pieces  in  a  moment. 

The  vessels,  on  the  14th,  were  stopped  by  an  immense  5eld  of 
low  ice,  to  which  no  end  could  be  seen,  either  to  the  east,  west, 
or  south.  In  difi'erent  parts  of  this  field  were  islands  or  hills  of 
ice,  like  those  which  our  voyagers  had  found  floating  in  the  sea, 
and  twenty  of  which  had  presented  themselves  to  view  the  day 
before.  Some  of  the  people  on  board  imagined  that  they  saw 
land  over  the  ice,  and  Captain  Cook  himself  at  first  entertained 
the  same  sentiment.  But  upon  more  narrowly  examining  these 
ice-hills,  and  the  various  appearances  they  made  when  seen 
through  the  haze,  he  was  induced  to  change  his  opinion.  On 
the  18th,  though  in  the  morning  our  navigators  had  been  quite 
embayed,  they  were,  notwithstanding,  at  length  enabled  to  get 
clear  of  the  field  of  ice.  They  were,  however,  at  the  same  time, 
carried  in  among  the  ice  islands,  which  perpetually  succeeded  one 
another;  which  were  almost  equally  dangerous,  and  the  avoiding 
of  which  was  a  matter  of  the  greatest  difficulty.  But  perilous 
as  it  is  to  sail  in  a  thick  fog,  among  these  floating  rocks,  as  our 
commander  prop**  iy  called  them,  this  is  preferable  to  the  being 
entangled  with  immense  fields  of  ice  under  the  same  circumstances. 
In  this  latter  case  the  great  danger  to  be  apprehended  is  tie 
getting  fast  in  the  ice,  a  situation  which  would  be  alarming  in 
the  highest  degree. 

It  had  been  a  generally  '•(  ceived  opinion,  that  such  ice  as  hath 
now  beep  described,  is  formed  in  bays  and  rivers.  Agreeably  to 
this  supposition,  our  voyagers  were  led  to  believe  that  land  was 
Qot  far  distant,  and  that  it  lay  to  the  southward,  behind  the  ioe 


Ml 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


163 


As,  therefore,  they  had  sailed  above  thirty  leagues  along  the  edge 
ot'  the  ice,  \frithout  finding  a  passage  to  the  south.  Captain  Cook 
determined  to  run  thirty  or  ^orty  leagues  to  the  east,  and  after- 
wards to  endeavour  to  get  to  the  southward.  If,  ia  this  attempt, 
he  met  with  no  land  or  other  impediment,  his  design  was  to 
Btretch  behind  the  ice,  and  thus  to  bring  the  matter  to  a  decision. 
The  weather  at  this  time  affected  the  senses  with  a  feeling  of 
cold  much  greater  than  that  which  was  pointed  out  by  the  ther- 
mometer, so  that  the  whole  crew  complained.  In  order  the 
better  to  enable  them  to  sustain  the  severity  of  the  cold,  the 
captain  directed  the  sleeves  of  their  jackets  to  be  lengthened 
with  baize,  and  had  a  cap  made  for  each  man  of  the  same  stuff, 
strengthened  with  canvas.  These  precautions  greatly  contri- 
buted to  their  comfort  and  advantage.  It  is  worthy  of  obser- 
vation, that  although  the  weather  was  as  sharp  on  the  25th  of 
December  as  might  have  been  expected  in  the  same  month  of 
the  year  in  any  part  of  England,  this  was  the  middle  of  summer 
with  our  navigators.  Some  of  the  people  now  appearing  to  have 
symptoms  of  the  scurvy,  fresh  wort  was  given  them  every  day 
prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  surgeons  from  the  malt  whict 
had  been  provided  for  the  purpose. 

By  the  29th  it  became  sufficiently  ascertained,  from  the  course 
our  commander  had  pursued,  that  the  field  of  ice,  along  which 
the  ships  had  sailed,  did  not  join  to  any  land,  as  had  been  con- 
jectured. At  this  time  Captain  Cook  came  ta  a  resolution 
provided  he  met  with  no  impediment,  to  run  as  far  west  as  the 
meridian  of  Cape  Circumcision.  While  he  was  prosecuting  this 
design,  a  gale  arose  on  the  31st,  which  brought  with  it  such  a 
sea  as  rendered  it  very  dangerous  for  the  vessels  to  remain 
among  the  ice  j  and  the  danger  was  increased  by  discovering  an 
immense  field  to  the  north,  which  extended  farther  than  the  eye 
could  reach.  As  our  voyagers  were  not  above  two  or  three  miles 
from  this  field,  and  were  surrounded  by  loose  ice,  there  was  no 
time  to  deliberate.     They  hauled  to  the  south,  and  though  they 


■  i;_i.., 


164 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


happily  got  clear,  it  was  not  till  the  ships  had  received  severa. 
hard  knocks  from  the  loose  pieces,  which  were  of  the  largest 
kind.  On  Friday,  the  Ist  of  January,  1773,  the  gale  abated, 
und  on  the  next  day,  in  the  afternoon,  our  people  had  the  felicity 
of  enjoying  the  sight  of  the  moon,  the  face  of  which  had  not 
been  seen  by  them  but  once  since  they  had  departed  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Hence  a  judgment  may  be  formed  of  the 
sort  of  weather  they  had  been  exposed  to  from  the  time  of  their 
leaving  that  place.  The  present  opportunity  was  eagerly  seized 
for  making  several  observations  of  the  sun  and  moon. 

Captain  Cook  was  now  nearly  in  the  same  longiti>-v,  which  is 
assigned  to  Cape  Circumcision,  and  about  ninety-five  leagues  to 
the  south  of  the  latitude  in  which  it  is  said  to  lie.  At  the  same 
time  the  weather  was  so  clear,  that  land  might  have  been  seen  at 
the  distance  of  fourteen  or  fiijteen  leagues.  He  concluded  it, 
therefore,  to  be  very  probable,  that  what  Bouvet  took  for  land 
was  nothing  but  mountains  of  ice,  surrounded  by  loose  or  field  ice. 
Our  present  navigators  had  naturally  been  led  into  a  similar  mis- 
take. The  conjecture,  that  such  ice  an  had  lately  been  seen  was 
joined  to  land,  was  a  very  plausible  one,  though  not  founded  on 
fact.  Upon  the  whole,  there  was  good  reason  to  believe  that  no 
land  was  to  be  met  with  under  this  meridian,  between  the  lati- 
tude of  fifty-five  and  fifty-nine,  where  some  had  been  supposed 
to  exist. 

Amidst  th«  obstructions  Captain  Cook  was  exposed  to,  from 
the  ice  islands,  which  perpetually  eucceec'ed  each  other,  he 
derived  one  advantage,  and  that  was,  a  supply  of  fresh  water. 
Though  the  melting  and  stowing  away  of  the  ice  takes  up  some 
time,  and  is  indeed  rather  tedious,  this  method  of  watering  is 
otherwise  the  most  expeditious  our  commander  had  ever  known. 
The  water  produced  was  perfectly  sweet  and  well  tasted.  Upon 
the  ice  islands,  penguins,  albatrosses,  and  other  birds  were  fre- 
quently seen.  It  had  hitherto  been  the  received  opinion,  that 
Buch  birds  never  go  far  from  land,  and  that  the  sight  )f  tli  em  is 


m 


;i 


SECOND   VOYAQE. 


165 


W 


a  sure  indication  of  its  vicinity.  That  this  opinion  is  not  well 
founded,  at  least  where  ice  islands  exist,  was  now  evinced  by 
multiplied  experience. 

By  Sunday,  the  17th  of  January,  Captain  Cook  reached  the 
latitude  of  67°  15'  south,  when  he  could  advance  no  farther. 
At  this  time  the  ice  was  entirely  closed  to  the  south,  in  the  whole 
extent  from  east  to  west-southwest,  without  the  least  appearance 
of  any  opening.  The  captain,  therefore,  thought  it  no  longer 
prudent  to  persevere  in  sailing  southward,  especially  as  the  sum- 
mer was  already  half  spent,  and  there  was  little  reason  to  hope 
that  it  would  be  found  practicable  to  get  round  the  ice.  Having 
taken  this  resolution,  he  determined  to  proceed  directly  in  search 
of  the  land  which  had  lately  been  discovered  by  the  French,  and 
as,  in  pursuing  his  purpose,  the  weather  was  clear  at  intervals, 
he  spread  the  ships  abreast  four  miles  from  each  other,  in  order 
the  better  to  investigate  anything  that  might  lie  in  their  way. 
On  the  Ist  of  February  our  voyagers  were  in  the  latitude  of  48° 
30'  south,  and  in  longitude  58°  7'  east,  nearly  in  the  meridian 
of  the  island  of  St.  Mauritius.  This  was  the  situation  in  which 
the  land,  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  the  French,  was  to  be 
expected ;  but  as  no  signs  of  it  had  appeared,  our  commander 
bore  away  to  the  east.  Captain  Fumeaux,  on  the  same  day, 
informed  Cook  that  he  had  just  seen  a  large  float  of  sea  or  rock 
weed,  and  about  it  several  of  the  birds  called  divers.  These 
were  certain  signs  of  the  vicinity  of  land,  though  whether  it  lay 
to  the  east  or  west  could  not  possibly  be  known.  Our  comman- 
der, therefore,  formed  the  design  of  proceeding  in  his  present 
latitude  four  or  five  degrees  of  longitude  to  the  west  of  the 
meridian  he  was  now  in,  and  then  to  pursue  his  researches  east- 
ward. The  west  and  northwest  winds,  which  had  continued  for 
some  days,  prevented  him  from  carrying  this  purpose  into  execu- 
tion. However,  he  was  convinced,  from  the  perpetual  high  sea 
he  had  lately  met  with,  that  there  could  be  no  great  extent  of 
land  to  the  west. 


h.  ■,  :*■ 


■m 


■'1 


^'1 


1 

m 


m 


ri 


166 


CAPTAIN   COOK  S 


While  Captain  Cook,  on  the  rext  day,  was  steering  eastward, 
Captain  Furneaux  told  him  that  he  thought  the  land  was  to  the 
northwest  of  them ;  as  he  had  at  one  time  observed  the  sea  to 
be  smooth,  when  the  wind  blew  in  that  direction.  This  obser- 
vation was  by  no  means  conformable  to  the  remarks  which  had 
been  m.  de  by  our  commander  himself.  Nevertheless,  such  was 
his  readiness  to  attend  to  every  suggestion,  that  he  resolved  to 
clear  up  the  point,  if  the  wind  would  admit  of  his  getting  to  the 
west  in  any  reasonable  time.  The  wind,  by  veering  to  the  north, 
did  admit  of  his  pursuing  the  search,  and  the  result  of  it  was, 
his  conviction  that,  if  any  land  was  near,  it  could  only  be  an 
island  of  no  considerable  extent. 

Captain  Cook  and  his  philosophical  friends,  while  they  were 
traversing  this  part  of  the  Southern  Ocean,  paid  particular  at- 
tention to  the  variation  of  the  compass,  which  they  found  to  be 
from  27°  50'  to  30°  26'  west.  Probably  the  mean  of  the  two 
extremes,  viz.,  29°  4',  was  the  nearest  the  truth,  as  it  coincided 
with  the  variation  observed  on  board  the  Adventure.  One  unac- 
countable circumstance  is  worthy  of  notice,  though  it  did  not 
now  occur  for  the  first  time.  It  is  that  when  the  sun  was  on  the 
starboard  of  the  ship  the  variation  was  the  least,  and  when  the 
larboard  side,  the  greatest. 

On  the  8th,  our  commander,  in  consequence  of  no  signals  hav- 
ing been  answered  by  the  Adventure,  had  reason  to  apprehend 
that  a  separation  had  taken  place.  After  waiting  two  days, 
during  whicn  guns  were  kept  discharging  and  false  fires  were 
burned  in  the  night,  the  fact  was  confirmed,  so  that  the  Resolu- 
tion was  obliged  to  proceed  alone  in  her  voyage.  As  she  pursued 
her  course,  penguins  and  other  birds  from  time  to  time  appeared 
in  great  nuuibers;  the  meeting  with  which  gave  our  navigators 
some  hopes  of  finding  land,  and  occasioned  various  speculations 
with  regard  to  its  situation.  Experience,  however,  convinced 
them  that  no  stress  was  to  be  laid  on  such  hopes.  They  were  so 
often  deceived  that  they  could  no  longer  look  upon  any  cf  the 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


107 


oceanic  birds  whicn  frequent  high  latitudes,  as  sure  signs  of  th« 
vicinity  of  land. 

In  the  morning  of  the  17th,  between  midnight  and  three  o'clock, 
lights  were  seen  in  the  heavens  similar  to  those  which  are  known 
in  the  northern  hemisphere  by  the  name  of  the  Aurora  Borealis. 
Captain  Cook  had  never  heard  that  an  Aurora  Australis  had 
been  seen  before.  The  officer  of  the  watch  observed,  that  it 
sometimes  broke  out  in  spiral  rays  and  in  a  circular  form,  at 
which  time  its  light  was  very  strong,  and  its  appearance  beauti- 
ful. It  was  not  perceived  to  have  any  particular  direct"  3u  j  on 
the  contrary,  at  various  times  it  was  conspicuous  in  different 
parts  of  the  heavens,  and  diffused  its  light  throughout  the  whole 
atmosphere. 

On  the  20th,  our  navigators  imagined  that  they  saw  land  to 
the  southwest.  Their  conviction  of  its  real  existence  was  so 
strong,  that  they  had  no  doubt  of  the  matter,  and  accordingly 
they  endeavoured  to  work  up  to  it,  in  doing  which  the  weather 
was  favourable  to  their  purpose.  However,  what  had  been  taken 
for  land  proved  only  to  be  clouds,  that  in  the  evening  entirely 
disappeared,  and  left  a  clear  horizon,  in  which  nothing  could  be 
discerned  but  ice  islands.  At  night  the  Aurora  Australis  was 
again  seen,  and  the  appearance  it  assumed  was  very  brilliant  and 
luminous.  It  first  discovered  itself  in  the  east,  and  in  a  short 
time  spread  over  the  whole  heavens. 

In  the  night  of  the  23d,  when  the  ship  was  in  latitude  61°  52' 
south,  and  longitude  95°  2'  east,  the  weather  being  exceedingly 
stormy,  thick,  and  hazy,  with  sleet  and  snow,  our  voyagers  were 
on  every  side  surrounded  with  danger.  In  such  a  situation  it 
was  natural  for  them  to  wish  for  daylight;  but  daylight,  when  it 
came,  served  only  to  increase  their  apprehensions,  by  exhibiting; 
those  huge  mountains  of  ice  to  their  view,  which  the  darkness 
had  prevented  them  from  seeing.  These  unfavourable  circum- 
stances, at  so  advanced  a  season  of  the  year,  discouraged  Captain 
Cook  from  putting  into  execution  a  resolution  he  had  formed  of 


1 

^■H^s^c  I.  1^ 

n 

K'i 

i' 

1 

* 

'fl 

'  i^i 

''i| 

m 

-m 


■;.i: 


7; 


168 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


once  more  crossing  the  Antarctic  Circle.  Accordingly,  eaTly  in 
the  morning  of  the  24th,  he  stood  to  the  north  with  a  very  hard 
gale  and  a  very  high  sea,  which  made  great  destruction  among 
the  ice  islands.  But  so  far  was  this  incident  from  being  of  any 
advantage  to  our  navigator^,  that  it  greatly  increased  the  num- 
ber of  pieces  they  had  to  avoid.  The  large  pieces  which  broke 
from  the  ice  islands  wer>  i^und  to  bo  much  more  dangcroiw 
than  the  islands  UimHt  ivv  ^  While  die  latttr  rose  so  high  out 
of  the  wattr  that  t)i(  j  fonM  generally  be  seen,  unless  the  weather 
was  very  thick  ujid  «  '  j,  b  O^e  our  people  nearly  approached 
them,  the  others  could  not  bo  I'iscerned  in  the  night,  till  they 
were  under  the  ship's  bows.  These  dangers,  however,  were  now 
become  so  familiar  to  the  captain  and  his  company,  that  the 
apprehensions  they  caused  were  never  of  long  duration ;  and  a 
compensation  was,  in  some  degree,  made  for  them,  by  the  seas- 
onable supplies  of  fresh  water  which  the  ice  islands  afforded, 
and  by  their  very  romantic  appearance.  The  foaming  and  dash- 
ing of  the  waves  into  the  curious  holes  and  caverns  which  were 
formed  in  many  of  them,  greatly  heightened  the  scene;  and  the 
whole  exhibited  a  view  that  at  once  filled  the  mind  with  admira- 
tion and  horror,  and  could  only  be  described  by  the  hand  of  an 
able  painter. 

In  sailing  from  the  25th  to  the  28th,  the  wind  was  accompa- 
nied with  a  large  holloTV  sea,  which  rendered  Captain  Cook  cer- 
tain that  no  land  of  any  considerable  extent  could  lie  within  a 
hundred  or  a  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  from  east  to  southwest. 
Though  this  was  still  the  summer  season  in  that  part  of  the 
world,  and  the  weather  was  become  somewhat  warmer  than  it 
had  been  before,  yet  such  were  the  effects  of  the  cold,  that  a 
sow  having  farrowed  nine  pigs  in  the  morning,  all  of  them,  not- 
withstanding the  utmost  care  to  prevent  it,  were  killed  before 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  From  this  same  cause,  the  captain 
himself  and  several  of  his  people  had  their  fingers  and  toes  chil- 
blaincd.     For  some  days  afterward  the  cold  considerably  abated, 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


1G» 


hut  still  it  could  not  be  said  that  there  wa,a  summer  vteathor, 
aooording  to  our  com^nandcr's  ideas  of  the  summer  in  the  north- 
ern hemisphere,  as  far  as  sixty  degrees  of  latitute,  which  was 
nearly  afi  far  as  he  had  then  bee' . 

J*  8  he  proceeded  on  his  voyage,  from  the  28th  of  February  to 
the  11th  of  March,  he  had  ample  reason  to  conclude,  from  the 
piw^U  of  t.iO  ocd  and  other  circumstances,  that  there  could  be  no 
land  to  the  south  but  what  must  lie  at  a  great  distance. 

The  weather  having  been  clear  on  the  13th  and  14th,  Mr. 
"Wales  had  an  opportunity  of  getting  some  observations  of  the 
sun  and  moon ;  the  results  of  which,  reduced  to  noon,  w^  ^n  the 
latitude  was  58°  22'  south,  gave  136°  22'  east  longitua<  T. 
Kendal's  and  Mr.  Arnold's  watches  gave  each  of  them  '  34"  . ', 
and  this  was  the  first  and  only  time  in  which  they  =  'nt  "^  out 
the  same  longitude  since  the  ship  had  departed  from  )■  ughnd. 
The  greatest  difierence,  however,  between  them,  sin;  our  voya- 
gers had  left  the  Cape,  had  not  much  exceeded  two  uog.ees. 

From  the  moderate  and  what  might  almost  be  called  pleasant 
weather,  which  had  occurred  for  two  or  three  days.  Captain 
Cook  began  to  wish  that  he  had  been  a  few  degrees  of  latitude 
farther  south,  and  he  was  even  tempted  to  incline  his  course  that 
way.  But  he  soon  met  with  weather  which  convinced  him  that 
he  had  proceeded  full  far  enough,  and  that  the  time  was  approach- 
ing when  these  seas  could  not  be  navigated  without  enduring 
intense  cold.  As  he  advanced  in  his  course  he  became  perfectly 
assured,  from  repeated  proofs,  that  he  had  left  no  land  behind 
him  m  the  direction  of  west-southwest,  and  that  no  land  lay  to 
the  south  on  this  side  sixty  degrees  of  latitude.  He  came,  there- 
fore, to  a  resolution  on  the  17th,  to  quit  the  high  southern  lati- 
tud*^?  and  to  proceed  to  New  Zealand,  with  a  view  of  looking  for 
the  Adventure  and  of  refreshing  his  people.  He  had  also  some 
thoughts  and  even  a  desire  of  visiting  the  east  coast  of  Van  Die- 
men's  Land,  in  order  to  satisfy  himself  whether  it  joined  the 
coast  of  New  South  Wales.     The  wind,  however,  not  permitting 

8 


■  r\ 

■if! 


170 


CAPTAIN    COOK'8 


him  to  execute  this  part  of  his  design,  he  shaped  hi"  fou'-sr  for 
New  Zealand,  in  sight  of  which  he  arrived  on  the  25tli.  and 
where  he  came  to  anchor  on  the  day  following,  in  Du?ky  Buy. 
He  had  now  been  a  hundred  and  seventeen  days  at  sea,  durmg 
^which  time  he  had  sailed  three  thousand  six  hundred  and  sixty 
leagues  without  having  once  rome  within  sight  of  land. 

After  so  long  a  voyage,  in  a  high  southern  latitude,  it  might 
reasonably  have  been  expected  that  many  of  Captain  Cook's 
people  would  be  ill  of  the  scurvy.  This,  however,  was  not  the 
case.  So  salutary  were  the  cfl'oct*  of  the  sweet  wort  and  several 
articles  of  provision,  and  especially  of  the  frequent  airing  and 
sweetening  of  the  ship,  that  there  was  only  one  man  on  board 
who  could  be  said  to  be  much  afHicted  with  the  disease,  and 
even  in  that  man  it  was  chiefly  occasioned  by  a  bud  habit  of 
body  and  a  complication  of  other  disorders. 

As  our  commander  did  not  like  the  place  in  which  he  had 
anchored,  he  sent  Lieutenant  Pickersgill  over  to  the  southeast 
side  ^f  the  bay  in  search  of  a  better,  and  the  lieutenant  succeeded 
in  finding  a  harbour  that  was  in  every  respect  desirable.  In  the 
meanwhile,  the  fishing-boat  was  very  successful,  returning  with 
fish  sufficient  for  the  whole  crew's  supper;  and  in  the  morning  of 
the  next  day  as  many  were  caught  as  served  for  dinner.  Hence 
were  derived  certain  hopes  of  being  plentifully  supplied  with  this 
article.  Nor  did  the  shores  and  woods  appear  more  destitute 
of  wild-fowl;  so  that  our  people  had  the  prospect  of  enjoying  with 
ease  what,  in  their  situation,  might  be  called  the  luxuries  of  life. 
These  agreeable  circumstances  determined  Captain  Cook  to  stay 
some  time  in  the  bay,  in  order  to  examine  it  thoroughly,  as  no 
one  had  ever  landed  before  on  any  of  the  southern  parts  of  New 
Zealand. 

On  the  27th,  the  ship  entered  Pickersgill  Harbour,  for  so  it 
was  called,  from  the  name  of  the  gentleman  by  whom  it  had  first 
been  discovered.  Here  wood  for  fuel  and  other  purposes  was 
immediately  at  band,  and  a  fine  stream  of  fresh  water  was  nut 


BECOND   VOYAGE. 


m 


above  a  hundred  yards  from  the  stern  of  *iho  vessel.  Our  voya- 
gers being  thus  advantageously  situated,  began  vigorously  to 
prepare  for  their  necessary  occupations,  by  clearing  placer  in 
the  woods,  in  order  to  set  up  the  astronomer's  observatory,  and 
the  forge  for  the  iron  work,  and  to  erect  tents  for  the  sail- 
a'.akers  and  coopers.  They  applied  themselves,  also,  to  the 
brewing  of  beer  from  the  branches  or  leaves  of  a  tree  which 
greatly  resembled  the  American  black  spruce.  Captain  Cook 
was  perstiaded,  from  the  knowledge  which  he  had  of  this  tree, 
and  from  the  similarity  it  bore  to  the  spruce,  that,  with  the  ad- 
dition of  inspissated  juice  of  wort  and  molasses,  it  would  make  a 
very  wholesome  liquor,  and  supply  the  want  of  vegetables,  of  which 
the  country  was  destitute.  It  appeared,  by  the  event,  that  he 
was  not  mistaken  in  his  judgmc.iL 

Several  of  the  natives  were  seen  on  the  28th,  who  took  little 
notice  of  the  English,  and  were  very  shy  of  access;  and  the 
captain  did  not  choose  to  force  an  intercourse  with  them,  as  he 
had  been  instructed  by  former  experience  that  the  best  method 
of  obtaining  it  was  to  leave  the  time  and  place  to  themselves. 
While  our  commander  continued  in  his  present  situation  he  took 
every  opportunity  of  examining  the  bay.  As  he  was  prosecuting 
his  survey  of  it,  on  the  6th  of  April,  his  attention  was  directed 
to  the  north  side,  where  he  discovered  a  fine  capacious  cove,  in 
the  bottom  of  which  is  a  fresh  water  river.  On  the  west  side 
are  several  beautiful  cascades,  and  the  shores  are  so  steep  that 
the  water  might  directly  be  conveyed  from  them  into  the  ship. 
Fourteen  ducks,  besides  other  birds,  having  been  shot  in  this  place, 
he  gave  it  the  name  of  Duck  Cove.  When  he  was  returning  in 
the  evening  he  met  with  three  of  the  natives,  one  man  and  two 
women,  whose  fears  he  soon  dissipated,  and  whom  he  engaged 
in  a  conversation  that  was  little  understood  on  either  side.  The 
youngest  of  the  women  had  a  volubility  of  tongue  that  could  not 
be  exceeded,  and  she  entertained  Captain  Cook  and  the  gentle- 
men who  accompanied  him  with  a  dance. 


'mm 


172 


CAPTAIN   000 K'a 


i 


I 


By  degrees  onr  commander  obtained  the  good  will  and  confi- 
dcnoe  of  the  Ii.diuns.  His  pi  csents,  however,  wert  at  first  received 
with  much  indifference,  hatchets  and  spike-nails  excepted.  At  a 
visit  on  the  12th,  from  a  family  of  the  natives,  the  captain,  per- 
ceiving they  approached  the  ship  with  great  caution,  met  them 
in  a  boat,  which  he  quitted  when  he  came  near  them,  and  went 
into  their  canoe.  After  all,  he  could  not  prevail  on  them  to  go 
on  board  the  Kcsolution,  but  at  length  they  put  on  shore  in  a 
little  creek,  and  seating  themselves  abreast  of  the  English  vessel, 
entered  into  familiar  conversation  with  several  of  the  officers 
and  seamen,  in  which  they  paid  a  much  greater  regard  to  some, 
whom  they  probably  mistook  for  females,  than  to  others.  So 
well  were  they  reconciled  to  our  voyagers,  that  they  took  up 
their  quarters  nearly  within  the  distance  of  a  hundred  yards 
from  the  ship's  watering-place.  Captain  Cook,  in  his  interview 
with  them,  had  cuused  the  bagpipes  and  fife  to  play,  and  the 
druii  to  beat.  The  two  former  they  heard  with  apparent  in 
sensibility,  but  the  latter  excited  in  them  a  certain  degree  of 
attention. 

On  the  18th,  a  chief,  with  whom  some  connections  had  al- 
ready been  formed,  was  induced,  together  with  his  daughter,  to 
oome  on  board  the  Resolution.  Previously  to  his  doing  it,  he 
presented  the  captain  with  a  piece  of  cloth  and  a  green  talk 
hatchet.  He  gave  also  a  piece  of  cloth  to  Mr.  Forster,  and  the 
girl  gave  another  to  Mr.  Hodges.  Though  this  custom  of  mak- 
ing presents  before  any  are  received,  is  common  with  the  natives 
of  the  South  Sea  Isles,  our  commander  had  never  till  now  seen 
it  practised  in  New  Zealand.  Another  thing  performed  by  the 
chief,  before  he  went  on  board,  was  the  taking  of  a  small  green 
branch  in  his  hand,  with  which  he  struck  the  ship's  side  several 
times,  repeating  a  speech  or  prayer.  This  manner,  as  it  were, 
of  making  peace,  is  likewise  prevalent  among  all  the  nations  of 
the  South  Seas.  When  the  chief  was  carried  into  the  cabin,  he 
fiewed  every  part  of  it  with  some  degree  of  surprise,  but  it  whs 


! 


BEOOND   VOYAQE. 


173 


not  possible  to  fix  his  attention  to  any  one  object  for  a  singia 
moment.  The  works  of  art  appeared  to  him  in  the  same  light 
U8  those  of  nature,  and  were  equally  distant  from  his  powers  of 
comprehension.  He  and  his  daughter  seemed  to  be  the  most 
struck  with  the  number  of  the  decks  and  other  parts  of  the 
ship. 

As  Captain  Cook  proceeded  in  examining  Dusky  Bay,  he  oc- 
casionally met  with  some  few  more  of  the  natives,  with  rep;ard  to 
whom  he  used  every  mode  of  conciliation.  On  the  20th,  the 
chief  and  his  family,  who  had  been  more  intimate  with  our  navi- 
gators  than  any  of  the  rest  of  the  Indians,  went  away  and  never 
returned  again.  This  was  the  more  extraordinary,  as  in  all  his 
visits  he  had  been  gratified  with  presents.  From  different  per- 
sons he  had  gotten  nine  or  ten  hatchets,  and  three  or  four  times 
that  number  of  large  spike-nails,  besides  a  variety  of  other  arti- 
cles :  so  far  as  these  things  may  be  deemed  riches  in  New  Zea- 
land, he  was  undoubtedly  become  by  far  the  most  wealthy  man 
in  the  whole  country. 

One  employment  of  our  voyagers,  while  in  Dusky  Bay,  con- 
sisted in  seal-hunting,  an  animal  which  was  found  serviceable  fur 
three  purposes.  The  skins  were  made  use  of  for  rigging,  the  fut 
afforded  oil  for  the  lamps,  and  the  flesh  was  eaten.  On  the  24th, 
the  captain  having  five  geese  remaining  of  those  he  had  brought 
with  him  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  went  and  left  them  at  a 
place  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Goose  Cove.  This  place  he 
fixed  upon  for  two  reasons;  first,  because  there  were  no  in- 
habitants to  disturb  them,  and  secondly,  because  here  was  the 
greatest  supply  of  proper  food,  so  that  he  had  no  doubt  of  their 
breeding,  blv  I  hoped  that  in  time  they  might  spread  over  the 
whole  country,  to  its  eminent  advantage.  Some  days  afterward, 
when  everything;  belonging  to  the  ship  had  been  removed  from 
the  shore,  he  set  fire  to  the  topwood,  in  order  to  dry  a  piece  of 
ground,  which  he  dug  up  and  sowed  with  several  sorts  of  gard'n? 
seeds.     The  soil,  indeed,  was  not  such  as  to  promise  mucii  buo* 


•■• ,'  ti 


rm 


'ph: 


174 


OAPTAIN   COOIt'S 


eess  to  the  planter,  but  it  r/as  the  best  that  could  be  dis- 
covtred. 

The  2otb  of  April  was  the  eighth  fair  day  our  people  had 
successive!)'  enjoyed,  and  there  was  reason  to  believe  that  such  a 
circumstance  was  very  uncommon  in  the  place  where  they  now 
lay^  and  at  that  season  of  the  year.  This  favourable  weather 
afforded  them  the  opportunity  of  more  speedily  completing  their 
wood  and  water,  and  of  putting  the  ship  into  a  condition  for  sea. 
On  the  evening  of  the  25th  it  began  to  rain,  and  the  weather 
was  afterward  extremely  variable,  being  at  times  in  a  high  de- 
gree wet,  cold,  and  stormy.  Nothing,  however,  prevented  Cap- 
tain Cook  from  prosecuting,  with  his  usual  sagacity  and  diligence, 
his  search  into  every  part  of  Dusky  Bay;  and  as  there  are 
few  places  in  New  Zealand  where  necessary  refreshments  may 
be  so  plentifully  obtained  as  in  this  bay,  he  hath  taken  care  to 
give  such  a  description  of  it  ?.nd  of  the  adjacent  country  as  may 
be  of  service  to  succeeding  navigators.  Although  this  country 
lies  far  remote  from  what  is  now  the  trading  part  of  the  world, 
yet,  as  he  justly  observes,  we  can  by  no  means  tell  what  use  future 
ages  may  derive  from  the  discoveries  made  in  the  present. 

The  various  anchoring  places  are  delineated  on  our  comman- 
der's chart,  and  the  most  convenient  of  them  he  has  particularly 
described.  Not  only  about  Dusky  Bay,  but  through  all  the 
southern  parf;  of  the  western  coast  of  Tovy-Poenammo,  the 
country  is  ixceedingly  mountainous.  A  prospect  more  rude  and 
craggy  is  rarely  to  be  met  with;  far  inland,  there  are  only  to  be 
seen  the  summits  of  mountains  of  a  tremendous  height,  and  con- 
sisting of  rocks  that  are  totally  barren  and  naked  excepting 
where  they  are  covered  with  snow.  But  the  land  which  borders 
on  the  sea-coast  is  thickly  clothed  witli  wood  almost  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  and  this  is  the  case  with  regard  to  all  the  ad- 
j  ining  islands.  The  trees  are  of  various  kinds,  and  are  fit  fur 
almost  every  possible  use.  Excepting  in  the  river  Thames 
Captain  Cook  had  rot  found  finer  timber  in  all  New  Zealand 


SECOND    VOYAGE. 


175 


iland 


the  most  considerable  species  of  which  is  the  spruce-trcc,  for  that 
name  he  had  given  it  from  the  similarity  of  its  foliage  to  the 
American  spruce,  though  the  wood  is  more  ponderous,  and  bears 
a  greater  resemblance  to  the  pitch-pine.  "Mu.  j  of  these  trees  are 
so  large  that  they  would  be  able  to  furnish  mainmasts  for  fifty- 
gun  ships.  Amidst  the  variety  of  aroniatic  trees  and  shrubs  which  ^ 
this  part  of  New  Zealand  produced,  there  was  none  which  bore 
fruit  fit  to  be  eaten.  The  country  was  not  found  so  destitute  of 
quadrupeds  as  was  formerly  imagined. 

As  Dusky  Bay  presented  many  advantages  to  our  navigators, 
so  it  was  attenr'ed  with  some  disagreeable  circumstances.  There 
were  great  n  imbers  of  small  black  sand-flies,  which  were 
troublesome  <  3  a  degree  that  our  commander  had  never  experi- 
enced before,  Another  evil  arose  from  the  continual  quantity 
of  rain  that  occurred  in  the  bay.  This  might,  indeed,  in  part 
proceed  from  the  season  of  the  year :  but  it  is  probable  that  the 
country  must  at  all  times  be  subject  to  much  wet  weather,  in 
consequence  of  the  vast  height  and  vicinity  of  the  mountains. 
It  was  remarkable  that  the  rain,  though  our  people  were  perpetu- 
ally exposed  to  it,  was  not  productive  of  any  evil  consequences. 
On  the  contrary,  such  of  the  men  as  were  sick  and  complaining 
when  they  entered  the  bay,  recovered  daily,  and  the  whole  crew 
sc^n  became  strong  and  vigorous.  So  happy  a  circumstance 
could  only  be  attributed  to  the  healthiness  of  the  place  and  the 
fresh  provisions  it  afforded,  among  which  the  beer  was  a  very 
material  article. 

The  inhabitants  of  Dusky  Bay  are  of  the  same  race  with  the 
other  natives  of  New  Zealand,  speak  the  same  language,  and 
adhere  nearly  to  the  same  customs.  Their  mode  of  life  appears 
to  be  a  wandering  one,  and  though  they  are  few  in  number,  no 
traces  were  remarked  of  their  families  being  connected  together 
in  any  close  bonds  of  union  or  friendship. 

While  the  Resolution  lay  in  the  bay,  3Ir.  Wales  made  a 
variety  of  scientific  obscrvatior  3  relative  to  latitude  and  lougi- 


I  n 


&jj||;    i||L 


0 


176 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


/ 


tude,  the  variation  of  the  compass,  and  the  diversity  of  the 
tides. 

When  Captain  Cook  left  Dusky  Bay,  he  directed  his  course 
for  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  where  he  expected  to  find  the 
Adventure.  This  v/as  on  Che  11th  of  May,  and  nothing  remark- 
able occurred  till  the  17th,  when  the  wind  at  once  flattened  to 
a  calm,  the  sky  became  suddenly  obscured  by  dark  dense  clouds, 
and  there  was  every  prognostication  of  a  tempest.  Soon  after, 
six  water-spouts  were  seen,  four  of  which  rose  and  spent  them- 
selves between  the  ship  and  the  land ;  the  fifth  was  at  a  consid- 
erable distance  on  the  other  side  of  the  vessel,  and  the  sixth, 
the  progressiva  motion  of  which  was  not  in  a  straight,  but  in  a 
crooked  line,  passed  within  fifty  yards  of  the  stern  of  the  Reso* 
lution,  without  producing  any  evil  efiect.  As  the  captain  had 
been  informed  that  the  firing  of  a  gun  would  dissipate  water- 
spouts, he  was  sorry  that  he  had  not  tried  the  experiment.  But 
though  he  was  near  enough,  and  had  a  gun  ready  for  the  pur- 
pose, his  mind  was  so  deeply  engaged  in  viewing  these  extraor- 
dinary meteors,  that  he  forgot  to  give  the  necessary  directions. 

On  the  next  day  the  Resolution  came  within  sight  of  Queen 
Charlotte's  Sound,  where  Captain  Cook  had  the  satisfaction  of 
discovering  the  Adventure,  and  both  ships  felt  uncommon  joy  at 
thus  meeting  again  after  an  absence  of  fourteen  weeks.  As  the 
events  which  happened  to  Captain  Furneaux  during  the  separa- 
tion of  the  two  vessels  do  not  fall  within  the  immediate  design 
of  the  present  narrative,  it  ri»ay  be  suflScient  to  observe,  that  he 
had  an  opportunity  of  examining,  with  somewhat  more  accuracy 
than  had  hitherto  been  done.  Van  Diemen's  Land;  and  his 
opinion  was,  that  there  are  no  straits  between  this  land  and  New 
Holland,  but  a  very  deep  bay.  He  met,  likewise,  with  farther 
proofs  that  the  natives  of  New  Zealand  are  eaters  of  human 
flesh. 

The  morning  after  Captain  Cook's  arrival  in  Queen  Charlotte's 
Sound,  he  went  himself  at  daybreak  to  look  for  scurvy-grass, 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


177 


eclcry,  and  other  vegetables,  and  he  had  the  good  fortune  to 
return  with  a  boat- load  in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  Having 
found  thatasufiieientquantity  of  these  articles  might  be  obtained 
for  the  crews  of  both  the  ships,  he  gave  orders  that  they  should 
be  boiled  with  wheat  and  portable  broth  every  day  for  breakfast, 
and  with  peas  and  broth  for  dinner.  Experience  had  taught 
him  that  the  vegetables  now  mentioned,  when  thus  dressed,  aro 
extremely  beneficial  to  seamen  in  removing  the  various  scorbutic 
complaints  to  which  they  are  subject. 

Our  commander  had  entertained  a  desire  of  visiting  Van  Die- 
men's  Land,  in  order  to  inform  himself  whether  it  made  a  part 
of  New  Holland.  But  as  this  point  had  been,  in  a  great  meas- 
ure, cleared  up  by  Captain  Furncaux,  he  came  to  a  resolution 
to  continue  his  researches  to  the  east,  between  the  latitudes  of 
41°  and  46°;  and  he  directed,  accordingly,  that  the  ships  should 
be  gotten  ready  for  putting  to  sea  ss  soon  as  possible.  On  the 
20th  he  sent  on  shore  the  only  ewe  and  ram  that  remained  of 
those  which,  with  the  intention  of  leaving  them  in  this  country, 
he  had  brought  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Soon  after,  he 
visited  several  gardens,  that  by  order  of  Captain  Furneaux  had 
been  made  and  planted  with  various  articles,  all  of  which  were 
in  such  a  flourishing  state,  that  if  duly  attended  to,  they  promised 
to  be  of  great  utility  to  the  natives.  The  next  day  Captain 
Cook  himself  set  some  men  to  work  to  form  a  garden  on  Long 
Island,  which  he  stocked  with  different  seeds,  and  particularly 
with  the  roots  of  turnips,  carrots,  parsnips,  and  potatoes.  These 
were  the  vegetables  that  would  be  of  the  most  real  use  to  the 
Lidians,  and  of  these  it  was  easy  to  give  them  an  idea,  by  com- 
paring them  with  such  roots  as  they  themselves  knew.  On  the 
22d,  Captain  Cook  received  the  unpleasant  intelligence  that  the 
ewe  and  ram,  which  with  so  much  care  and  trouble  he  had 
brought  to  this  place,  were  both  of  them  found  dead.  It  was 
«'ipposed  that  they  had  eaten  some  poisonous  plant,  and  by  thig 

8* 


"■?' 


m 


v-i 


^    hi 


",  *•, 


178 


CAPTAIN    cook's 


l\ 


\ 


IB 


accident  all  the  captain's  hopes  of  stocking  New  Zealand  with  a 
breed  of  sheep  were  instantly  blasted. 

The  intercourse  which  our  great  navigator  had  with  the  in- 
habitants of  the  country  during  this  his  second  visit  to  Queen 
Charlotte's  Sound,  was  of  a  friendly  nature.  Two  or  three  fami- 
lies took  up  their  abode  near  the  ships,  and  employed  themselves 
daily  in  fishing,  and  in  supplying  the  English  with  the  fruits  of 
their  labour.  No  small  advantage  hence  accrued  to  our  people, 
who  were  by  no  means  such  expert  fishers  as  the  natives,  nor 
were  any  of  our  methods  of  fishing  equal  to  theirs.  Thus,  in 
almost  every  state  of  society,  particular  arts  of  life  are  carried 
to  perfection,  and  there  is  something  which  the  most  po."«;hed 
nations  may  learn  from  the  most  barbarous. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  when  the  Resolution  and  Adventure  were 
almost  ready  to  put  to  sea.  Captain  Cook  sent  on  shore,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  sound,  two  goats,  a  male  and  female ;  and  Cap- 
tain Furneaux  left,  near  Cannibal  Cove,  a  boar  and  two  breeding 
sows.  The  gentlemen  had  little  doubt  but  that  the  country 
would  in  time  be  stocked  with  these  animals,  provided  they  were 
not  destroyed  by  the  Indians  before  they  became  wild.  After- 
wards there  would  be  no  danger,  and  as  the  natives  knew  nothing 
of  their  being  left  behind,  it  was  hoped  that  it  might  be  some 
time  before  they  would  be  discovered. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  during  Captain  Cook's  second  visit  to 
Charlotte's  Sound,  he  was  not  able  to  recollect  the  face  of  any 
one  person  whom  he  had  seen  there  three  years  before.  Nor 
did  it  once  appear  that  even  a  singL  Indian  had  the  least  knowl- 
edge of  our  commander,  or  any  of  our  people  who  had  been 
with  him  in  his  last  voyage.  Hence  he  thought  it  highly  prob- 
able, that  the  greatest  part  of  the  natives  who  inhabited  this 
sound  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1770,  had  either  since  b<»en 
driven  out  of  it,  or  had  reuioved  of  their  own  accord  to  sonio 
other  iitvation.  Not  one-third  of  the  inhabitants  were  there 
uo'/y  Ifeat  had  been  seen  at  that  time.     Their  stronghold  on  the 


SECOND  VOYAGE. 


179 


point  of  Motuara  was  deserted,  and  in  every  part  of  the  sound 
many  forsaken  habitations  were  discovered.  Id  the  captain's 
opinion,  there  was  not  any  reason  to  believe  that  the  place  had 
ever  been  very  populous.  From  comparing  the  two  voyages  to- 
gether, it  may  be  colk  cted  that  the  Indians  of  Eaheinomauw« 
are  in  somewhat  of  a  more  improved  state  of  society  than  thosij 
of  Tovy-Poenwnmo. 

Part  of  the  4th  of  June  was  employed  by  Captain  Cook  in 
visiting  a  chief  and  a  whole  tribe  of  the  natives,  consisting  of 
between  ninety  and  a  hundred  persons,  including  men,  women, 
and  children.  Af+er  the  captain  had  distributed  some  presents 
among  these  people,  and  shown  to  the  chief  the  gardens  which 
were  made,  he  returned  on  board,  and  sp  :nt  the  remainder  of  the 
day  in  the  celebration  of  his  royal  master's  nativity.  Captain 
Furneaux  and  all  his  officers  were  invited  upon  the  occasion,  and 
the  seamen  were  enabled,  by  a  double  allowance,  to  partake  of 
the  general  joy. 

As  some  might  think  it  an  extraordinary  step  in  our  commander 
to  proceed  in  discoveries  so  far  south  as  forty-six  degrees  of  lati- 
tude, in  the  very  depth  of  winter,  he  has  recorded  his  motives 
for  this  part  of  his  conduct.  Winter,  he  acknowledges,  is  by  no 
means  favourable  for  discoveries.  Nevertheless,  it  appeared  to 
him  to  be  necessary  that  something  should  be  done  in  that  sea- 
son, in  order  to  lessen  the  work  in  which  he  was  en  iged,  and 
lest  he  should  not  be  able  to  finish  the  discovery  of  t'l  southern 
part  of  the  South  Pacific  Ocean  in  the  ensuing  sumni  Besides, 
if  he  should  discover  any  land  in  his  route  to  the  ta-  ,  he  would 
be  ready  to  begin  to  explore  it  as  soon  as  ever  the  ason  should 
be  favourable.  Independently  of  all  these  consid era  ions,  he  had 
little  to  feai\:  having  two  good  ships  well  pro  d'd,  and  both 
the  crews  being  healthy.  Where  then  could  he  better  employ 
his  time  ?  If  he  did  nothing  more,  he  was  at  least  in  hopes  of 
being  enabled  to  point  out  to  posterity  that  these  seas  may  bo 
navigated,  and  that  it  is  practicable  to  pursue  discoveries  even 


'''ii 


i 


180 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


in  the  depth  of  winter.  Such  was  the  ardour  of  our  niivigatoT 
for  prosecuting  the  ends  of  his  voyage,  in  circumstances  which 
would  have  induced  most  men  to  act  a  mere  cautious  part. 

During  Captain  Cook's  stay  in  the  sound,  he  had  observed  that 
the  second  visit  to  this  country  had  not  mended  the  morals  of 
the  natives  of  either  sex.  He  had  always  looked  upon  the 
females  of  New  Zealand  as  more  chaste  than  the  generality  of 
Indian  women.  Whatever  favours  a  few  of  them  might  have 
granted  to  the  people  of  the  Endeavour,  such  intercourse  usually 
took  place  in  a  private  manner,  and  did  not  appear  to  be 
encouraged  by  the  men.  But  now  the  captain  was  told  that  the 
male  Indians  were  the  chief  promoters  of  this  shameful  traffic, 
and  that,  for  a  spike-nail,  or  any  other  thing  they  valued,  they 
would  oblige  the  women  to  prostitute  themselves,  whether  it  were 
agreeable  or  contrary  to  their  inclinations.  At  the  same  time  no 
regard  was  paid  to  the  privacy  which  decency  required.  The 
account  of  this  fact  must  be  read  with  concern  by  every  well- 
wisher  to  the  good  order  and  happiness  of  society,  even  without 
adverting  to  considerations  of  a  higher  nature. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  Captain  Cook  put  to  sea  from  Queen 
Charlotte's  Sound,  with  the  Adventure  in  company.  I  shall 
omit  the  nautical  part  of  the  route  from  New  Zealand  to  Ota- 
I -fte,  which  continued  till  the  15th  of  August,  and  shall  only 
select  such  circumstances  as  are  more  immediately  suitable  to 
the  design  of  the  present  narrative.  It  was  found,  on  the  29th 
of  July,  that  the  crew  of  the  Adventure  were  in  a  sickly  state. 
Her  cook  was  dead,  and  about  twenty  of  her  best  men  were  ren- 
dered incapable  of  duty  by  the  scurvy  and  flux.  At  this  time 
no  more  than  three  men  were  on  the  sick  list  on  board  the 
llesolution ;  and  only  one  of  these  was  attacked  with  the  scurvy. 
Some  others,  however,  began  to  discover  the  symptoms  of  it ; 
and,  accordingly,  recourse  was  had  to  wort,  maimalade  of  car- 
rots, and  the  rob  of  lemons  and  oranges,  with  the  usual  suc- 
cess. 


SECOND   VOYAOB. 


181 


Captain  Cook  could  not  account  for  the  prevalence  of  tho 
Bcurvy  being  so  much  greater  in  the  Adventure  than  in  the  Reso- 
lution, unless  it  was  owing  to  the  crew  of  the  former  being  more 
scorbutic  when  they  arrived  in  New  Zealand  than  the  crew  of 
the  latter,  and  to  their  eating  few  or  no  vegetables  while  they  lay 
in  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound.  This  arose  partly  from  their  want 
of  knowing  the  right  sorts,  and  partly  from  the  dislike  which  aea- 
men  have  to  the  introduction  of  a  new  diet.  Their  aversion  to 
any  unusual  change  of  food  is  so  great,  that  it  can  only  be  over- 
come by  the  steady  and  persevering  example  and  authority  of  a 
commander.  Many  of  Captain  Cook's  people,  officers  as  well  as 
common  sailors,  disliked  the  boiling  of  celery,  scurvy-grass,  and 
other  greens,  with  pease  and  wheat;  and  by  some  the  provision, 
thus  prepared,  was  refused  to  be  eaten.  But,  as  this  had  no 
effect  on  the  captain's  conduct,  their  prejudice  gradually  subsided : 
they  began  to  like  their  diet  as  much  as  the  rest  of  their  com- 
panions; and  at  length  there  was  hardly  a  ran  1,1  the  ship  who 
did  not  attribute  the  freedom  of  the  crew  fum  the  scurvy,  to 
the  beer  and  vegetables  which  had  been  made  use  of  at  New 
Zealand.  Henceforward,  whenever  the  seamen  came  to  a  place 
where  vegetables  could  be  obtained,  our  commander  seldom  found 
it  necessary  to  order  them  to  be  gathered;  and,  if  they  were 
scarce,  happy  was  the  person  who  could  lay  hold  on  them  first. 

On  the  first  of  August,  when  the  ships  were  in  the  latitude 
of  25°  1'  and  the  longitude  of  134°  C  west,  they  were  nearly  in 
the  same  situation  with  that  which  is  assigned  by  Captain  Carte- 
ret for  Pitcairn's  Island,  discovered  by  him  in  1767.  For  this  isl- 
and, therefore,  our  voyagers  diligently  looked;  but  saw  nothing. 
According  to  the  longitude  in  which  he  had  placed  it.  Captain 
Cook  must  have  passed  it  fifteen  leagues  to  the  west.  But  as 
this  was  uncertain,  he  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  lose  any  time 
in  searching  for  it,  as  the  sickly  state  of  the  Adventure's  people 
required  as  speedy  an  arrival  as  possible  at  a  place  of  refresh- 
ment.    A  sight  of  it;  howc-er,  would  have  been  of  use  in  verify 


V'iJ 


.■iM 


I 


.ill 


182 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


ing  or  correcting,  not  only  the  longitude  of  Piicairn's  Island,  but 
of  the  otliers  discovered  by  Captain  Carteret  in  that  neighbour- 
hood. It  is  a  diminution  of  the  value  of  that  gentleman's  voy- 
age, that  his  longitude  was  not  confirmed  by  astronomical  obser- 
vation, and  that  hence  it  was  liable  to  errors,  the  correction  of 
which  was  out  of  his  power. 

As  Captain  Cook  had  now  gotten  to  the  northward  of  Captain 
Carteret's  track,  he  no  longer  entertained  any  hopes  of  discover- 
ing a  continent.  Islands  were  all  that  he  could  expect  to  find, 
until  he  returned  again  to  the  south.  In  this  and  his  former 
voyage,  he  had  crossed  the  ocean  in  the  latitude  of  40°  and  up- 
wards, without  meeting  anything  which  could,  in  the  least,  in- 
duce him  to  believe  that  he  should  attain  the  great  object  of  his 
pursuit.  Every  circumstance  concurred  to  convince  him  that, 
between  the  meridian  of  America  and  New  Zealand,  there  is  no 
southern  continent;  and  that  there  is  no  continent  farther  to  the 
south,  unless  in  a  very  high  latitude.  This,  however,  was  a 
point  too  important  to  be  left  to  opinions  and  conjectures.  It 
was  to  be  determined  by  facts;  and  the  ascertainment  of  it  was 
appointed,  by  our  commander,  for  the  employment  of  the  ensuing 
summer. 

It  was  lie  6th  of  August  before  the  ships  had  the  advantage 
of  the  trade  wind.  This  they  got  at  southeast,  being  at  that 
time  in  the  latitude  of  19°  36'  south  and  the  longitude  of  131° 
32'  west.  As  Captain  Cook  had  obtained  the  southeast  trade- 
wind,  he  directed  his  course  to  the  west-northwest;  not  only 
with  a  view  of  keeping  in  with  the  strength  of  the  wind,  but 
also  to  get  to  the  north  of  the  islands  discovered  in  his  former 
voyage,  that  he  might  have  a  chance  of  meeting  with  any  other 
islands  which  might  lie  in  the  way.  It  was  in  the  track  which 
had  been  pursued  by  M.  de  Bougainville  that  our  commander 
now  proceeded.  He  was  sorry  i.iat  he  could  not  spare  time  to 
sail  to  the  north  of  this  track;  but  at  present,  on  account  of  the 
iickly  state  of  the  Adventure's  crew,  the  arriving  at  a  plac© 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


183 


where  refi  esliments  tould  be  procured,  was  an  object  superior  to 
that  of  discovery.  To  four  of  the  islands  which  were  passed  by 
Captain  Cook,  he  gave  the  names  of  Kesolution  Island,  Doubtful 
Island,  Furneaux  Island,  and  Adventure  Island.  They  are  sup- 
^posed  to  be  the  same  that  were  seen  by  M.  de  Bougainville;  and 
these,  with  several  others,  which  constitute  a  cluster  of  low  ana 
half-drowned  isles,  that  gentleman  distinguished  by  the  appella- 
tion of  the  Dangerous  Archipelago.  The  smoothness  of  the  sea 
sufficiently  convinced  our  navigators  that  they  were  surrounded 
by  them,  and  that  it  was  highly  necessary  to  proceed  with  the 
utmost  caution,  especially  in  the  night. 

Early  in  the  morning,  on  the  15th  of  August,  the  ships  came 
within  sight  of  Osnaburg  Island,  or  Mait«a,  which  had  been  dis- 
covered by  Captain  Wallis.  Soon  after,  Captain  Cook  acquainted 
Captain  Furneaux  that  it  was  his  intention  to  put  into  Oaiti-piha 
Bay,  near  the  southeast  end  of  Otaheite,  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
curing what  refreshments  he  could  from  that  part  of  the  island, 
before  he  went  down  to  Matavia.  At  six  in  the  evening  the 
island  was  seen  bearing  west,  and  our  people  continued  to  ad- 
vance towards  it  till  midnight,  when  they  brought  to  till  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning;  after  which  they  sailed  in  for  the  land, 
with  a  fine  breeze  at  east.  At  daybreak  tney  found  themselves 
within  the  distance  of  half  a  league  from  the  reef;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  the  breeze  began  to  fail  them,  and  was  at  last  suc- 
ceeded by  a  calm.  It  now  became  necessary  for  the  boats  to  be 
hoisted  out,  in  order  to  tow  off  the  ships;  but  all  the  efforts  of 
our  voyagers  to  keep  them  from  being  oarried  near  the  reef  were 
insufficient  for  the  purpose.  As  the  calm  continued,  the  situa- 
tion of  the  vessels  became  still  more  dangerous.  Captain  Cook, 
however,  entertained  hopes  of  getting  round  the  western  point 
of  the  reef,  and  into  the  bay.  But,  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  when  he  came  before  an  opening  or  break  in  the  reef, 
through  which  he  had  flattered  himself  that  he  might  get  with 
the  ships,  he  found,  on  sending  to  examine  it,  that  there  was  not 


m 


<   .mi 


181 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


ft 


!  1 

u 

1    II       II 

lu            En 

1  'h 

1 

II 

II    1 

ul 

:    H         ll 

m 

II 

1 

a  sufficient  depth  of  water.     Nevertheless,  this  opening  caused 
Huch  an  indraught  of  the  tide  of  flood  through  it,  as  was  very 
near  proving  fatal  to  the  Resolution ;  for,  as  soon  as  the  vessels 
got  into  the  stream,  they  were  carried  towards  the  reef  with 
great  impetuosity.     The  moment  the  captain  perceived  this,  he 
ordered  one  of  the  warping  machines,  which  was  held  in  readi- 
ness, to  be  carried  out  with  about  four  hundred  fathoms  of  rope; 
but  it  did  not  produce  the  least  cfi'eot;  and  our  navigators  had 
now  in  prospect  the  horrors  of  shipwreck.     They  were  not  more 
than  two  cables'  length  from  the  breakers  j  and,  though  it  was 
the  only  probable  method  which  was  left  of  saving  the  ships, 
they  could  find  no  bottom  to  anchor.     An  anchor,  however,  they 
did  drop,  but  before   it  took  hold  and  brought  them  up,  the 
Resolution  was  in  less  than  three  fathom  water,  and  struck  at 
every  fall  of  the  sea,  which  broke  close  under  her  stern  in  a 
dreadful   surf,  and   threatened   her   crew  every  moment  with 
destruction.     Happily,  the  Adventure  brought  up  without  strik- 
ing.    Presently  the  Resolution's  people  carried  out  two  kedge- 
anchors,  with  hawsers  to  each ;  and  these  found  ground  a  little 
without  the  bower.     By  heaving  upon  them,  and  cutting  away 
the   bower   anchor,  the   ship  was  gotten  afloat  where  Captain 
Cook  and  his  men  lay  for  some  time  in  the  greatest  anxiety,  ex- 
pecting every  minute  that  cither  the  kedges  would  come  home, 
or  the  hawsers  be  cut  in  two  by  the  rocks.     At  length,  the  tide 
ceased  to  act  in  the  same  direction  :   upon  which  the  captain 
ordered  all  the  boats  to  try  to  tow  off"  the  vessel.     Having  found 
this  to  be  practicable,  the  two  kedges  were  hove  up,  and  at  that 
moment  a  light  air  came  off  from  the  Ian  i,  by  which  the  boats 
<  were  so  much  assisted,  that  the  Resolution  soon  got  clear  of  all 
danger.     Our  commander  then  oidereJ  all  the  boats  to  assist 
the  Adventure ;  but  before  they  reached  her,  she  was  under  sail 
with  the  land  breeze,  and  in  a  little  time  joined  her  companion, 
loaying  behind  her  three  anchors,  hor  coasting  cable,  and  two 
hawsers,  which  were  never  recovered.     Thus  were  cur  voyagers 


SECOND   VOTAQI. 


185 


once  more  safe  at  sea,  afler  narrowly  escaping  being  wretkcd  en 
the  Tcry  island  at  which,  but  a  few  days  before,  they  had  most 
ardently  wished  to  arrive.  It  was  a  peculiarly  happy  circum- 
stance  that  the  calm  continued,  after  bringing  the  ships  into  so 
dangerous  a  state.  For  if  the  sea  breeze,  as  is  usually  the  case, 
had  set  in,  the  Resolution  must  inevitably  have  been  lost,  and 
probably  the  Adventure  likewise. 

During  the  time  in  which  the  English  were  in  this  critical  situ- 
ation, a  number  of  the  natives  were  either  on  board  or  near  the 
vessels  in  their  canoes.  Nevertheless,  they  seemed  to  be  insensi- 
ble of  our  people's  danger,  showing  not  the  least  surprise,  joy,  or 
fear,  when  the  ships  were  striking;  and  they  went  away  a  little 
before  sunset,  quite  unconcerned.  Though  most  of  them  knew 
Captain  Cook  again,  and  many  inquired  for  Mr.  Banks  and 
others  who  had  been  with  the  captain  before,  it  was  remarkable 
that  not  one  of  them  asked  for  Tupia. 

On  the  17th,  the  Resolution  and  Adventure  anchored  in  Oaiti- 
piha  Bay,  immediately  upon  which  they  were  crowded  with  the 
inhabitants  of  the  country,  who  brought  with  them  cocoanuts, 
plantains,  bananas,  apples,  yams,  and  other  roots,  which  were 
exchanged  for  nails  and  beads.  To  some  who  called  themselves 
chiefs,  our  commander  made  presents  of  shirts,  axes,  and  several 
articles  beside,  in  return  for  which  they  promised  to  bring  him 
hogs  and  fowls,  —  a  promise  which  they  did  not  perform,  and 
which,  as  might  be  judged  from  their  conduct,  they  had  never 
had  the  least  intention  of  performing.  In  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day,  Captain  Cook  landed  in  company  with  Captain  Fur- 
neaux,  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the  watering-place,  and  of 
Bounding  the  disposition  of  the  natives.  The  article  of  water, 
which  was  now  much  wanted  on  board,  he  found  might  conveni- 
ently be  obtained,  and  the  inhabitants  behaved  with  great  civil- 
ity. Notwithstanding  this  civility,  nothing  was  brought  to 
market  the  next  day  but  fruit  and  roots,  though  it  was  said  that 
many  hogs  were  seen  about  the  houses  in  the  neighb:>urhood. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


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Photc^raphic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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188 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


I 


The  cry  was,  that  they  belonged  to  Waheatoua,  the  earcc  do 
hi,  or  king;  who  had  not  yet  appeared,  nor,  indeed,  any  other 
chief  of  note.  Among  the  Indians  that  came  on  h)ard  the  Reso- 
lution, and  no  small  number  of  whom  did  not  scruple  to  call 
themselves  earees,  there  was  one  of  this  sort  who  had  been  enter- 
tained in  the  cabin  most  of  the  day,  and  to  all  of  whose  friendH 
Captain  Cook  had  made  presents,  as  well  as  liberally  to  himself. 
At  length,  however,  he  was  caught  taking  things  which  did  not 
belong  to  him,  and  handing  them  out  of  the  quarter  galley. 
Various  complaints  of  the  like  nature  being  at  the  same  time 
made  against  the  natives  who  were  on  deck,  our  commander 
turned  them  all  out  of  the  ship.  His  cabin  guest  was  very  rapid 
in  his  retreat ;  and  the  captain  was  so  exasperated  at  his  beha- 
viour, that  after  the  earee  had  gotten  to  some  distance  from  the 
Resolution,  he  fired  two  muskets  over  his  head,  by  which  he  was 
80  terrified,  that  he  quitted  his  canoe  and  took  to  the  water. 
Captain  Cook  then  sent  a  boat  to  tjike  the  canoe ;  but  when  the 
boat  approached  the  shore,  the  people  on  land  began  to  pelt  her 
with  stones.  The  captain,  therefore,  being  in  some  pain  for  her 
safety,  as  she  was  unarmed,  went  himself  in  another  boat  to  pro- 
tect her,  and  ordered  a  great  gun,  loaded  with  ball,  to  be  fired 
along  the  coast,  which  made  all  the  Indians  retire,  from  the 
shore,  and  he  was  suftered  to  bring  away  two  canoes  without  the 
least  show  of  opposition.  In  a  few  hours  peace  was  restored, 
and  the  canoes  were  returned  to  the  first  person  who  came  for 
them. 

It  was  not  till  the  evening  of  this  day  that  any  one  inquired 
after  Tupia,  and  then  the  inquiry  was  made  by  only  two  or  three 
of  the  natives.  When  they  learned  the  cause  of  his  death  they 
were  perfectly  satisfied,  nor  did  it  appear  to  our  commander  that 
they  would  have  felt  a  moment's  uneasiness,  if  Tupia's  decease 
had  proceeded  from  any  other  cause  than  sickness.  They  were 
as  little  concerned  about  Aotourou,  the  man  who  had  gone  away 
with  M.  de  Bougainv  He.     But  they  were  continually  asking  for 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


1»7 


Mr.  Bank  e J  and  for  several  others  who  had  accompained  Captaku 
Cook  in  his  former  voyage. 

Since  that  voyage,  very  considerable  changes  had  happened 
in  the  country.  Toutaha,  the  regent  of  the  greater  peninsula  of 
Otaheite,  had  been  killed  in  a  battle  which  was  fought  between 
the  two  kingdoms  about  five  months  before  the  llesolutionN 
arrival ;  and  Otoo  was  now  the  reigning  prince.  Tubourai 
Tomaide,  and  several  more  of  the  princip<al  fViends  to  the  En- 
glish, had  fallen  in  this  battle,  together  with  a  large  number  of 
the  common  people.  A  peace  subsisted,  at  present,  between  the 
two  grand  divisions  of  the  island. 

On  the  20th,  one  of  the  natives  carried  off"  a  musket  belonging 
to  the  guard  on  shore.  Captain  Cook,  who  was  himself  a  witness 
to  the  transaction,  sent  out  some  of  his  people  after  him;  but  this 
would  have  been  to  very  little  purpose,  if  the  thief  had  not  been 
intercepted  by  several  of  his  own  countrymen,  who  pursued  him 
voluntarily,  knocked  him  down,  and  returned  the  musket  to  the 
English.  This  act  of  justice  prevented  our  commander  from 
being  placed  in  a  disagreeable  situation.  If  the  natives  had  not 
given  their  immediate  assistance,  it  would  scarcely  have  been  in 
his  power  to  have  recovered  the  musket  by  any  gentle  means 
whatever;  and  if  he  had  been  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  other 
methods,  he  was  sure  of  losing  more  than  ten  times  its  value. 

The  fraud  of  one,  who  appeared  as  a  chief,  is,  perhaps,  not 
unworthy  of  notice.  This  man,  in  a  visit  to  Captain  Cook,  pre- 
sented him  with  a  quantity  of  fruit;  among  which  was  a  num- 
ber of  cocoanuts,  that  had  already  been  exhausted  of  their  liquor 
by  our  people,  and  afterwards  thrown  overboard.  These  the 
chief  had  picked  up,  and  tied  so  artfully  in  bundles,  that  at  first 
the  deception  was  not  perceived.  When  he  was  informed  of  it, 
without  betraying  the  least  emotion,  and  affecting  a  total  igno- 
rance of  the  matter,  he  opened  two  or  three  of  the  nuts  himself, 
signified  that  he  was  satisfied  of  the  fact,  and  then  went  on  shore 
and  F«nt  off"  a  quantity  of  plantains  and  bananas.     The  ingenu- 


'  'If  1 


•iJ 


■^m 


^    Iv 


,1 '  1 


f 

*"  1 

J 


]S8 


CAPTAIN    cook's 


ity  and  tbe  impudence  of  fraud  are  not  solely  the  production  of 
polished  society. 

Captain  Cook,  on  the  23d,  had  an  interview  with  Waheatoua, 
the  result  of  which  was  that  our  narigators  obtained  this  day  as 
much  pork  as  furnished  a  meal  to  the  crews  of  both  vessels.  In 
the  captain's  last  voyage,  Waheatoua,  who  was  then  little  more 
than  a  boy,  was  called  Teareej  but  having  succeeded  to  his 
father's  authority,  he  had  assumed  his  father's  name. 

The  fruits  which  were  procured  at  Oaiti-piha  Bay  contributed 
greatly  to  the  recovery  of  the  sick  people  belonging  to  the  Adven- 
ture. Many  of  them,  who  had  been  so  ill  as  to  be  incapable  of 
moving  without  assistance,  were,  in  the  compass  of  a  few  days, 
BO  far  recovered  that  they  were  able  to  walk  about  of  themselves. 
When  the  Resolution  entered  the  bay,  she  had  but  one  scorbutic 
man  on  board.  A  marine  who  had  long  been  sick,  and  who  died 
the  second  day  after  her  arrival,  of  a  complication  of  disorders, 
had  not  the  least  mixture  of  the  scurvy. 

On  the  24th,  the  ships  put  to  sea,  and  arrived  the  next  even- 
ing in  Matavia  Bay.  Before  they  could  come  to  an  anchor,  the 
decks  were  crowded  with  the  natives,  many  of  whom  Captain 
Cook  knew,  and  by  most  of  whom  he  was  well  remembered. 
Among  a  large  multitude  of  people  who  were  collected  together 
upon  the  shore,  was  Otoo,  the  king  of  the  island.  Our  commander 
paid  him  a  visit  on  the  following  day,  at  Oparree,  the  place  of 
his  residence ;  and  found  him  to  be  a  fine,  personable,  well-made 
man,  six  feet  high,  and  about  thirty  years  of  age.  The  qualities 
of  his  mind  were  not  correspondent  to  his  external  appearance  j 
for  when  Captain  Cook  endeavoured  to  obtain  from  him  a  prom- 
ise of  a  visit  on  board,  he  acknowledged  that  he  was  afraid  of  the 
guns,  and,  indeed,  manifested  in  all  his  actions  that  he  was  a  prince 
of  a  timorous  disposition. 

Upon  the  captain's  return  from  Oparree,  he  found  the  tents 
and  the  astronomers'  observatories  set  up  on  the  same  spot  from 
which  the  transit  of  Venus  had  been  observed  in  1769.    The  sick, 


P. 


SECOND    VOYAGE. 


189 


oeing  twenty  in  number  from  the  Adventure,  and  one  from  the 
Resolution,  all  of  whom  were  ill  of  the  scurvy,  he  ordered  to 
be  landed ,  and  he  appointed  a  guard  of  marines  on  shore,  under 
the  command  of  Lieutenant  Edgcumbe. 

On  the  27th,  Otoo  was  prevailed  upon,  with  some  degree  of 
reluctance,  to  pay  our  commander  a  visit.  He  came  attended 
with  a  numerous  train,  and  brought  with  him  fruits,  a  hog,  two 
large  fish,  and  a  quantity  of  cloth ;  for  which  he  and  all  his  reti- 
nue were  gratified  with  suitable  presents.  When  Captain  Cook 
conveyed  his  guests  to  land,  he  was  met  by  a  venerable  lady,  the 
mother  of  the  late  Toutaha,  who  seized  him  by  both  hands,  and 
burst  into  a  flood  of  tears,  saying,  Toutaha  tiyo  no  tutee  matty 
Toutaha;  that  is,  "Toutaha,  your  friend,  or  the  friend  of  Cook, 
is  dead."  He  was  so  much  affected  with  her  behaviour,  that  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  him  to  have  refrained  from  min- 
gling his  tears  with  hers,  had  not  Otoo,  who  was  displeased  with 
the  interview,  taken  him  from  her.  It  was  with  difficulty  that 
the  captain  could  obtain  permission  to  see  her  again,  when  he 
gave  her  an  axe  and  some  other  articles.  Captain  Furneaux,  at 
this  time,  presented  the  king  with  two  fine  goats,  which,  if  no 
accident  befell  them,  might  be  expected  to  multiply. 

Several  days  had  passed  in  a  friendly  intercourse  with  the 
natives,  and  in  the  procuring  of  provisions,  when,  in  the  evening 
of  the  -0th,  the  gentlemen  on  board  the  llesolution  were  alarmed 
with  tue  cry  of  murder,  and  with  a  great  noise  on  shore,  near 
the  bottom  of  the  bay,  and  at  a  distance  from  the  English 
encampment.  Upon  this.  Captain  Cook,  who  suspected  that 
some  of  his  own  men  were  concerned  in  the  affair,  immediately 
aispatched  an  armed  boat  to  know  the  cause  of  the  disturbance, 
and  to  bring  ofi  such  of  his  people  as  should  be  found  in  the 
piace  He  sent,  also,  to  the  Adventure,  and  to  the  post  on  shore, 
w  learn  wno  were  missing;  for  none  but  those  who  were  upon 
duty  were  absent  from  the  Resolution.  The  boats  speedily 
rerurped  with  three  n\arines  and  a  seaman.     Some  others  like- 


'*'       ',1 ' 


'^!i 


f 

I' 

, 

M'i 

f 

t 

f        ! 

m 

•■  ( 

1   1 

41 

il 

JB^^I 

100 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


wise  were  taken,  bclonp^ing  to  the  Adventure;  and  all  of  them 
being  put  under  confinement,  our  commander,  the  next  morning, 
ordered  them  to  be  punished  according  to  their  deserts.  He  did 
not  find  that  any  mischief  had  been  done,  and  the  men  would 
confess  nothing.  Some  liberties  which  had  been  taken  with  the 
women  had  probably  given  occasion  to  disturbance.  To  what- 
ever cause  it  was  owing,  the  natives  were  so  much  alarmed, 
that  they  fled  from  their  habitations  in  the  dead  of  the  night, 
and  the  alarm  was  spread  many  miles  along  the  coast.  In  the 
niorning  when  Captain  Cook  went  to  visit  Otoo,  by  appointment, 
he  found  that  he  had  removed,  or  rather  fled,  to  a  great  distance 
from  the  usual  place  of  his  abode.  After  arriving  where  he  was, 
it  was  some  hours  before  the  captain  could  be  admitted  to  the 
eight  of  him ;  and  then  he  complained  of  the  riot  of  the  prece- 
ding evening. 

The  sick  being  nearly  recovered,  the  water  completed,  and  the 
necessary  repairs  of  the  ship  finished.  Captain  Cook  determined 
to  put  to  sea  without  delay.  Accordingly,  on  the  1st  of  Septem- 
ber, he  ordered  everything  to  be  removed  from  the  shore,  and 
the  vessels  to  be  unmoored,  in  which  employment  his  people  were 
engaged  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  In  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day,  Lieutenant  Pickersgill  returned  from  Attahourou,  to 
which  place  he  had  been  sent  by  the  captain,  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  some  hogs  that  had  been  promised.  In  this  expedition 
the  lieutenant  had  seen  the  celebrated  Oberea,  who  has  been  so 
much  the  object  of  poetical  fancy.  Her  situation  was  very  hum- 
ble compared  with  what  it  had  formerly  been.  She  was  not  only 
altered  much  for  the  worse  in  her  person,  but  appeared  to  be 
poor,  and  of  little  or  no  consequence  or  authority  in  the  isUna. 
In  the  evening  a  favourable  wind  having  sprung  up,  our  /com- 
mander put  to  sea ;  on  which  occasion  he  was  obliged  to  disraiswi 
his  Otaheite  friends  sooner  than  they  wished  to  depart;  but  wen 
satisfied  with  his  kind  and  liberal  treatment. 

From  Matavia  Bay  Captain  Cook  directed  his  coutem^  lor  cn« 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


191 


island  of  Iluaheinc,  where  he  intended  to  touch.  This  island  he 
reached  the  next  day,  and,  early  in  the  morning  of  the  3d  of 
September,  made  sail  for  the  harbour  of  Owharre,  in  which  he 
soon  came  to  an  anchor.  The  Adventure,  not  happening  to  turn 
into  the  harbour  with  equal  facility,  got  ashore  on  the  north  side 
of  the  channel;  but,  by  the  timely  assistance  which  Captain 
Cook  had  previously  provided,  in  case  such  an  accident  should 
occur,  she  was  gotten  oflF  again,  without  receiving  any  damage. 
As  soon  as  both  the  ships  were  in  safety,  our  commander,  together 
with  Captain  Furneaux,  landed  upon  the  island,  and  was  re- 
ceived by  the  natives  with  the  utmost  cordiality.  A  trade  imme- 
diately commenced  j  so  that  our  navigators  had  a  fair  prospect 
of  being  plentifully  supplied  with  '"resh  pork  and  fowls,  which, 
to  people  in  their  situation,  was  a  very  d«.sir:)ble  circumstance. 
On  the  4th,  Lieutenant  Pickersgill  sailed  with  the  cutter  on  a 
trading  party,  toward  the  south  end  of  the  isle.  Another  trad- 
ing party  was  also  sent  on  shore  near  the  ships,  which  party  Cap- 
tain Cook  attended  himself,  to  see  that  the  business  was  properly 
conducted  at  the  first  setting  out,  this  being  a  point  of  no  small 
importance.  Everything  being  settled  in  his  mind,  he  went, 
accompanied  by  Captain  Furneaux  and  Mr.  Foster,  to  pay  a 
visit  to  his  old  friend  Oree,  the  chief  of  the  island.  This  visit  was 
preceded  by  many  preparatory  ceremonies.  Among  other  things 
the  chief  sent  to  our  commander  the  inscription  engraved  on  a 
small  piece  of  pewter  which  he  had  left  with  him  in  July,  1769. 
It  was  in  the  bag  that  Captain  Cook  had  made  for  it,  together 
with  a  piece  of  counterfeit  English  coin,  and  a  few  beads  which 
had  been  put  in  at  the  same  time ;  whence  it  was  evident  what 
particular  care  had  been  taken  of  the  whole.  After  the  previous 
ceremonies  had  been  discharged,  the  captain  wanted  to  go  to  the 
king,  but  he  was  informed  that  the  king  would  come  to  him. 
Accordingly,  Oree  went  up  to  our  commander,  and  fell  on  his 
reck,  and  embraced  him ;  nor  was  it  a  Cf^remonious  embrace,  for 
tbo  tears  which  trickled  down  the  venerable  old  man's  cheeks 


102 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


I 


'!;! 


I 


Biifficicntlj  bespoke  the  language  of  his  heart.  The  prcscntii 
wliich  Captain  Cook  made  to  the  chief  on  this  occasion  consisted 
of  the  most  valuable  articles  he  had ;  for  he  regarded  him  as  a 
father.  Oree,  in  return,  gave  the  captain  a  hog  and  a  quantity 
of  cloth,  promising  that  all  the  wants  of  the  English  should  be 
supplied.  And  it  was  a  promise  to  which  he  faithfully  adhered. 
Indeed,  he  carried  his  kindness  to  Captain  Cook  so  far,  as  not  to 
fail  sending  him  every  day,  for  his  table,  a  plentiful  supply  of  the 
very  best  of  ready-dressed  fruit  and  roots. 

Hitherto  all  things  had  gone  on  in  the  most  agreeable  man- 
ner; but  on  Monday,  the  6th,  several  circumstances  occurred 
which  rendered  it  an  unpleasant  and  troublesome  day.  When 
our  commander  went  to  the  trading-place,  he  was  informed  that 
one  of  the  inhabitants  had  behaved  with  remarkable  insolence. 
The  man  was  completely  equipped  in  a  war  habit,  had  a  club  in 
each  hand,  and  seemed  bent  upon  mischief.  Captain  Cook  took, 
therefore,  the  clubs  from  him,  broke  them  before  his  eyes,  and, 
with  some  difficulty,  compelled  him  to  retire.  About  the  same 
time,  Mr.  Sparrnian,  who  had  imprudently  gone  out  alone  to  bot- 
anize, was  assaulted  by  two  men,  who  stripped  him  of  everything 
which  he  had  about  him,  excepting  his  trowsers,  and  struck  him 
again  and  again  with  his  own  hanger,  though  happily  without 
doing  him  any  harm.  When  they  had  accomplished  their  pur- 
pose, they  made  oflF;  after  which,  another  of  the  natives  brought 
a  piece  of  cloth  to  cover  him,  and  conducted  him  to  the  trading- 
place,  where  the  inhabitants,  in  a  large  number,  were  assembled. 
The  instant  that  Mr.  Sparrman  appeared  in  the  condition  now 
described,  they  all  fled  with  the  utmost  precipitation.  Captain 
Cook  having  recalled  a  few  of  the  Indians,  and  convinced  them 
that  he  should  take  no  step  to  injure  those  who  were  innocent, 
went  to  Oree  to  complain  of  the  outrage.  When  the  chief  hac 
heard  the  whole  affair  related,  he  wept  aloud,  and  many  othcT 
of  the  inhabitants  did  the  same.  After  the  first  transports  of 
his  grief  had  subsided,  he  began  to  expostulate  with  his  people, 


8KCOND   VOYAGE. 


193 


t'»Iling  them  (for  so  his  language  was  understood  by  the  English) 
how  well  Captain  Cook  had  treated  them  both  iu  this  and  his 
former  voyage,  and  how  base  it  was  in  them  to  commit  such 
actions.  He  then  took  a  minute  account  of  the  things  of  which 
Mr.  Sparrman  had  been  robbed,  and,  after  having  promised  to 
use  his  utmost  endeavours  for  the  recovery  of  them,  desired  to 
go  into  the  captain's  boat.  At  this,  the  natives,  apprehensive 
doubtless  for  the  safety  of  their  prince,  expressed  the  utmost 
alarm,  and  used  every  argument  to  dissuade  him  from  so  rash  a 
measure.  All  their  remonstrances,  however,  were  in  vain.  He 
hastened  into  the  boat ;  and  as  soon  as  they  saw  that  their 
beloved  chief  was  wholly  in  our  commander's  power,  they  set  up 
a  great  outcry.  Indeed,  their  grief  was  inexpressible  :  they 
prayed,  entreated,  nay,  attempted  to  pull  him  out  of  the  boat ; 
and  every  face  was  bedewed  with  tears.  Even  Captain  Cook 
himself  was  so  moved  by  their  distress,  that  he  united  his  entrea- 
ties with  theirs,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  Oree  insisted  upon  the 
captain's  coming  into  the  boat,  which  was  no  sooner  done,  than 
he  ordered  it  to  be  put  off.  His  sister  was  the  only  person 
among  the  Indians  who  behaved  with  a  becoming  magnanimity 
ou  this  occasion  ;  for,  with  a  spirit  equal  to  that  of  her  royal 
brother,  she  alone  did  not  oppose  his  going.  It  was  his  desij^;i, 
in  coming  into  the  boat  of  the  English,  to  proceed  with  them  ia 
search  of  the  robbers  Accordingly,  he  went  with  Captain 
Cook,  as  far  as  it  was  convenient,  by  water,  when  they  landed, 
entered  the  country,  and  travelled  some  miles  inland  ;  in  doing 
which  the  chief  led  the  way,  and  inquired  after  the  criminals  ot 
ev^ery  person  whom  he  saw.  In  this  search  he  would  have  gone 
to  the  very  extremity  of  the  island,  if  our  commander,  who  did 
not  til  ink  the  object  worthy  of  so  laborious  a  pursuit,  had  not 
refused  to  proceed  any  farther.  Besides,  as  he  intended  to  sail 
the  next  morning,  and  all  manner  of  trade  was  stopped  in  conse- 
quence of  the  alarm  of  the  natives,  it  became  the  more  necessary 
for  him  to  return,  that  he  might  restore  things  to  their  former 

9 


'» 


'    if'. 


f 


»UM-4«iUI^-ii«Ui 


194 


CAITAIN   COOK  8 


i 


m 


state.  It  was  with  great  reluctance  tliat  Oree  was  prevailed 
upon  to  discontinue  the  fiearch,  and  to  content  himself  with 
Bending,  at  Captain  Cook's  request,  some  of  his  people  for  the 
things  winch  had  been  carried  off.  When  he  and  the  captain 
had  gotten  back  to  the  boat,  they  found  there  the  chief's  sister 
and  several  other  persons,  who  had  travelled  by  land  to  the 
place.  The  Englisii  gentlemen  immediately  stepped  into  their 
boat,  in  order  to  return  on  board,  without  so  much  as  asking 
Oree  to  accompany  them  ;  notwithstanding  which,  he  insisted 
upon  doing  it ;  nor  could  the  opposition  and  entreaties  of  those 
who  were  about  him  'iiduce  him  to  desist  from  his  purpose. 
His  sister  followed  his  example,  uninfluenced  on  this  occasion,  by 
the  supplications  and  tears  of  her  daughter.  Captain  Cook 
amply  rewarded  the  chief  and  his  sister  for  the  confidence  they 
had  placed  in  him  ;  and,  after  dinner,  conveyed  them  both  ou 
shore,  where  some  hundreds  of  people  waited  to  receive  them, 
many  of  whom  embraced  Oree  with  tears  of  joy.  All  was  now 
peace  and  gladness  ;  the  inhabitants  crowded  in  from  every  part 
with  such  a  plentiful  supply  of  hogs,  fowls,  and  vegetable  pro- 
ductions, that  the  English  presently  filled  two  boats  ;  and  the 
chief  himself  presented  the  captain  with  a  large  hog,  and  a 
quantity  of  fruit.  Mr.  Sparrman's  hanger,  the  only  thing  of  value 
which  he  had  lost,  was  brought  back,  together  with  part  of  hia 
coat ;  and  our  navigators  were  told  that  the  remaining  articles 
should  be  restored  the  next  day.  Some  things  which  bad  been 
stolen  from  a  party  of  officers,  who  had  gone  out  a  shooting, 
were  returned  in  like  manner. 

The  transactions  of  this  day  have  been  the  more  particularly 
related,  as  they  show  the  high  opinion  which  the  chief  had 
formed  of  our  commander,  and  the  unreserved  confidence  that  he 
placed  in  his  integrity  and  honour.  Oree  had  entered  into  a 
solemn  friendship  with  Captain  Cook,  according  to  all  the  forms 
which  were  customary  in  the  country  ;  and  he  seemed  to  think 
that  this  friendship  could  not  be  broken  by  the  act  of  any  other 


BEOONL    VOYAGE. 


195 


persons.  It  is  justly  observed  by  the  captain,  that  another  chief 
may  never  be  found,  who,  under  similar  circumstances,  will  act 
in  the  same  manner.  Oree,  indeed,  had  nothing  to  fear  ;  for  it 
was  not  our  commander's  intention  to  hurt  a  hair  of  his  head,  or 
to  detain  him  a  moment  longer  than  was  agreeable  to  his  own 
desire.  But  of  this  how  could  he  and  his  people  be  assured  ? 
Tiiey  were  not  ignorant  that  when  he  was  once  in  Captain  Cook'a 
power,  the  whole  force  of  the  island  would  not  be  sufficient  to 
recover  him,  and  that  they  must  have  complied  with  any 
demands,  however  great,  for  his  ransom.  The  apprehensions, 
therefore,  of  the  inhabitants,  for  their  chief's  and  their  own 
safety,  had  a  reasonable  foundation. 

Early  on  the  tth,  while  the  ships  were  unmooring,  the  captain 
went  to  pay  his  farewell  visit  to  Oree,  and  took  with  him  such 
presents  as  had  not  only  a  fancied  value,  but  a  real  utility.  He 
left,  also,  with  the  chief,  the  inscription  plate  that  had  before 
been  in  his  possession,  and  another  small  copperplate,  on  which 
were  engraved  these  words  :  "  Anchored  here,  his  Britannic 
Majesty's  ships  Resolution  and  Adventure,  September,  1173." 
These  plates,  together  with  some  medals,  were  put  up  in  a  bag, 
of  which  Oree  promised  to  take  care,  and  to  produce  them  to 
the  first  ship  or  ships  that  should  arrive  at  the  island.  Having, 
in  return,  given  a  hog  to  Captain  Cook,  and  loaded  his  boat  with 
fruit,  they  took  leave  of  each  other,  when  the  good  old  chief 
embraced  our  commander  with  tears  in  his  eyes.  Nothing  was 
mentioned,  at  this  interview,  concerning  the  remainder  of  Mr. 
Sparrman's  property.  As  it  was  early  in  the  morning,  the  cap- 
tain judged  that  it  had  not  been  brought  in,  and  he  was  not 
willing  to  speak  of  it  to  Oree,  lest  he  should  give  liira  pain  about 
things  which  there  had  not  been  time  to  recover.  The  robbers 
having  soon  afterwards  been  taken,  Oree  came  on  board  again, 
to  request  that  our  commander  would  go  on  shore,  either  to 
punish  them,  or  to  be  present  at  their  punishment  ;  but  this  not 
being  convenient  to  him  be  left  them  to  the  punishment  of  tlieif 


u  i 


;  1 


i 


■- :  I  J- 


Iff 


HtlC|WI»t»Mil  W^"  ■ 


mf"'--™TJ 


196 


OAPIAIN   COOK  8 


I  ly 


own  chief.  It  was  from  the  island  of  Iluahoine  that  Ouptain 
Furncaux  received  into  his  ship  a  yonng  man  named  Omai,  a 
native  of  Ulietea,  of  wliorn  so  much  hath  since  been  known  and 
written.  This  clioice  Captain  Cook  at  first  disapproved,  as 
tliinkiiig  tiiat  the  youtli  was  not  a  proper  sample  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  Society  Islands  ;  being  inferior  to  many  of  them  in 
birth  and  accjuired  rank,  and  not  having  any  peculiar  advantage 
in  point  of  shape,  figure,  and  complexion.  The  captain  after- 
wards found  reason  to  be  better  satisfied  with  Omai's  having 
accompanied  our  navigators  to  England. 

During  the  short  stay  of  the  vessels  at  Huaheine,  our  people 
were  very  successful  in  obtaining  supplies  of  provisions  No  less 
than  three  hundred  hogs,  besides  fowls  and  fruit,  were  procured, 
and  had  the  ship  continued  longer  at  the  place,  the  quantity 
might  have  been  greatly  increased.  Such  was  the  fertility  of 
this  small  island  that  none  of  these  articles  of  refreshment 
were  seemingly  diminished,  but  appeared  to  be  as  plentiful  as 
ever. 

From  Huaheine  our  navigators  sailed  for  Ulietea,  where 
trade  was  carried  on  in  the  usual  manner,  and  a  most  friendly 
intercourse  renewed  between  Captain  Cook  and  Oreo,  the  chief 
of  the  island.  Here  Tupia  was  inquired  after  with  particu- 
kr  eagerness,  and  the  inquirers  were  perfectly  satisfied  with  the 
account  which  was  given  of  the  occasion  of  that  Indian's  de- 
cease. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th,  the  English  were  surprised  at 
finding  that  none  of  the  inhabitants  of  Ulietea  came  off  to  the 
ships,  as  had  hitherto  been  customary.  As  two  men  belonging 
to  the  Adventure  had  stayed  on  shore  all  night,  contrary  to  or- 
ders, Captain  Cook's  first  conjectures  were  that  the  natives  had 
stripped  them,  and  were  afraid  of  the  revenge  that  would  be 
taken  of  the  insult.  This  however  was  not  the  case.  The  men 
had  been  treated  with  great  civility,  and  could  assign  no  cause 
for  the  precipitate  flight  of  the  Indians.    All  that  the  captain 


BKCOND    VOTAGK. 


197 


could  learu  was,  that  several  were  killed,  and  others  wounded, 
by  the  guns  of  the  English.  Tins  information  alarmed  him  for 
the  safety  of  some  of  our  people,  who  hud  been  sent  out 
in  two  boats  to  the  island  of  Otaha.  lie  determined,  therefore, 
if  possible,  to  see  the  chief  himself.  When  he  came  up  to  him, 
Oreo  threw  his  arms  around  our  commander's  neck,  and  burst 
into  tears,  in  which  he  was  accompanied  by  all  the  women,  and 
some  of  the  meu  ;  so  that  the  lamentation  became  general. 
Astonishment  alone  kept  Captain  Cook  from  joining  in  their 
grief.  At  last  the  whole  which  he  could  collect  from  his  inqui* 
ries  was,  that  the  natives  had  been  alarmed  on  account  of  the 
absence  of  the  English  boats,  and  imagined  the  captain,  upon  the 
supposition  of  the  desertion  of  his  men,  would  use  violent  means 
for  the  recovery  of  his  loss.  When  the  matter  was  explained,  it 
was  acknowledged  that  not  a  single  inhabitant,  or  a  single  En- 
glishman, had  been  hurt.  This  groundless  consternation  display- 
ed in  a  strong  light  the  timorous  disposition  of  the  people  of  the 
Society  Islands. 

Our  navigators  were  as  successful  in  procuring  provisions  at 
Ulietea  as  they  had  been  at  Iluaheine.  Captain  Cook  judged 
that  the  number  of  hogs  obtained  amounted  to  four  hundred  or 
upwards  ;  many  of  them  indeed  were  only  roasters,  while  others 
exceeded  a  hundred  pounds  in  weight  ;  but  the  general  run  was 
from  forty  to  sixty.  A  larger  quantity  was  offered  than  the  ships 
could  contain,  so  that  our  countrymen  were  enabled  to  pro- 
ceed on  their  vc^  age  with  no  small  degree  of  comfort  and  advan- 
tage. 

Our  commander,  by  his  second  visit  to  the  Society  Islands, 
gained  a  farther  knowledge  of  their  general  state,  and  of  the  cus- 
toms of  the  inhabitants.  It  appeared  that  a  Spanish  ship  had 
been  lately  at  Otaheite,  and  the  natives  complained  tliat  a  dis- 
ease had  been  communicated  to  them  by  the  people  of  this  ves- 
sel, which,  according  to  their  account,  affected  the  head,  the 
throat,  and  the  stomach,  and  at  length  ended  in  death.     Wito 


"!'t  "Is 


;.  P 


m 


I'i-f' 


'M 


-I 


Jul. 'If 


-  !;•  1 


198 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


regard  to  a  certain  disorder,  the  effects  of  which  have  so  fatally 
been  felt  iu  the  latter  ages  of  the  world,  Captain  Cook's  inqui- 
ries could  not  absolutely  determine  whether  it  was  known  to  the 
islanders  before  they  were  visited  by  the  Europeans.  If  it  was 
of  recent  origin,  the  introduction  of  it  was,  without  a  dissentient 
voice,  ascribed  to  the  voyage  of  M.  de  Bougainville. 

One  thing  which  our  commander  was  solicitous  to  ascertain, 
was,  whether  human  sacrifices  constituted  a  part  of  the  religious 
customs  of  these  people.  The  man  of  whom  he  made  bis  in- 
quiiies,  and  several  other  natives,  took  some  pains  to  explain  the 
matter  ;  but,  but  from  our  people's  ignorance  of  the  language  of 
the  country,  their  explication  could  not  be  understood.  Captain 
Cook  afterwards  learned  from  Omai  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Society  Islands  offer  human  sacrifices  to  the  Supreme  Being. 
What  relates  to  funeral  ceremonies  excepted,  all  the  knowledge 
he  could  obtain  concerning  their  religion  was  very  imperfect  and 
defective. 

The  captain  had  an  opportunity,  in  this  voyage,  of  rectifying 
the  great  injustice  which  had  been  done  to  the  women  of  Ota- 
heite  and  the  neighbouring  isles.  They  had  been  represented 
as  ready,  without  exception,  to  grant  the  last  favour  to  anj  man 
who  would  come  up  to  their  price  ;  but  our  commander  found 
til  it  this  was  by  no  means  the  case.  The  favours  both  of  the 
married  women,  and  of  the  unmarried,  of  the  better  sort,  were 
as  difficult  to  be  obtained  in  the  Society  Islands  as  in  any  other 
country  whatever.  Even  with  respect  to  the  unmarried  females 
of  the  lower  class,  the  charge  was  not  indiscriminately  true. 
There  were  many  of  these  who  would  not  admit  of  indecent  fa- 
miliarities. The  setting  this  subject  in  a  proper  light  must  be 
considered  as  one  of  the  agreeable  effects  of  Captain  Cook's 
second  voyage.  Every  enlightened  mind  will  rejoice  at  what 
conduces  to  the  honour  of  human  nature  in  general,  and  of  the 
female  sex  in  particular.  Chastity  is  so  eminently  the  glory  of 
that  sex,  and,  indeed,  is  so  essentially  connected  with  the  good 


SKCOND    VOYAGE. 


VJd 


order  of  society,  that  it  must  be  a  satisfaetiou  t^  reflect  that 
there  is  no  country,  however  ignorant  or  barbarous,  in  which  this 
virtue  is  not  regarded  as  an  object  of  moral  obligation. 

This  voyage  enabled  our  commander  to  gain  some  fiirther 
knowledge  concerning  the  geography  of  the  Society  Isles,  and 
he  found  it  highly  probable  that  Otaheite  is  of  greater  extent 
than  he  had  computed  it  in  his  former  estimation.  The  astrono- 
mers did  not  neglect  to  set  up  their  observatories,  and  to  make 
observations  suited  to  their  purpose. 

On  the  17th  of  September  Captain  Cook  sailed  from  Ulietea, 
directing  his  course  to  the  west,  with  an  inclination  to  the  south. 
Land  was  discovered  on  the  23d  of  the  month,  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of  Harvey's  Island.  On  the  1st  of  October  he  reached 
the  island  of  Middleburg.  While  he  was  looking  about  for  a 
landing-place,  two  canoes,  each  of  them  conducted  by  two  or 
three  men,  came  boldly  alongside  the  ship,  and  some  of  the  peo- 
ple entered  it  without  hesitation.  This  mark  of  confidence  in- 
spired our  commander  with  so  good  an  opinion  of  the  inhabit- 
ants, that  he  determined  if  possible  to  pay  them  a  visit,  which 
he  did  the  next  day.  Scarcely  had  the  vessels  gotten  to  an  an- 
chor, before  they  were  surrounded  by  a  great  number  of  canoes, 
full  of  the  natives,  who  brought  with  them  cloth  and  various  curios- 
ities, which  they  exchanged  for  nails  and  such  other  articles  as 
were  adapted  to  their  fancy.  Among  those  who  came  on  board 
was  a  chief  named  Tioony,  whose  friendship  Captain  Cook  imme- 
diately gained  by  proper  presents,  consisting  principally  of  a 
hatchet  and  some  spike-nails.  A  party  of  our  navigators,  with 
the  captain  at  the  head  of  them,  having  embarked  in  two  boats 
proceeded  to  shore,  where  they  found  an  immense  crowd  of  peo- 
ple, who  welcomed  thoia  to  the  island  with  loud  acclamations. 
There  was  not  so  much  as  a  stick,  or  any  other  weapon  in  the 
nands  of  a  single  native,  so  pacific  were  their  dispositions  and 
intentions.  Tiiey  seemed  to  be  more  desirous  of  giving  than  re- 
ppiving,  and  manj  of  them  who  could  not  approach  near  to  the 


il|: 


s  "■: 


IS,  n» 


'kf 


i 


H'i  !i 


lili 


i  '  J  ■>  ffi't 


I-* 


i 


■>■■  l"  *t 


■>■■  I  '.'Utf'". 


^.(,;i, 


,1  .(if 


r-vf. 


%  ,i 


!l 


i 


I 


200 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


boats,  threw  into  them,  over  the  heads  of  others,  whole  bales  oi 
cloth,  and  then  retired,  without  either  asking  or  waiting  for  any 
thing  in  return.  The  whole  day  was  spent  by  our  navigators  in 
the  most  agreeable  manner.  When  they  returned  on  board  in 
the  evening,  every  one  expressed  how  much  he  was  delighted 
with  the  country  and  the  very  obliging  behaviour  of  the  inhab- 
itants, who  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  in  their  endeavours  to 
give  pleasure  to  our  people.  All  this  conduct  appeared  to  be 
the  result  of  the  most  pure  good  nature,  perhaps  without  being 
accompanied  with  much  sentiment  or  feeling  ;  for  when  Captain 
Cook  signified  to  the  chief  his  intention  of  quitting  the  island,  he 
did  not  seem  to  be  in  the  least  moved.  Among  other  articles  pre- 
sented by  the  captain  to  Tioony,  he  left  him  an  assortment  of 
garden-seeds,  which,  if  properly  used,  might  be  of  great  future 
benefit  to  the  country. 

From  Middlebnrg  the  ships  sailed  down  to  Amsterdam,  the 
natives  of  which  island  were  equally  ready  with  those  of  the  for- 
mer place  to  maintain  a  friendly  intercourse  with  the  Enprlish. 
Like  the  people  of  Middleburg,  they  brought  nothing  with  them 
but  cloth,  matting,  and  such  other  articles  as  could  be  of  little 
service,  and  for  these  our  seamen  were  so  simple  as  to  barter 
away  their  clothes.  To  put  a  stop,  therefore,  to  so  injurious  a 
traffic,  and  to  obtain  the  necessary  refreshments,  the  captain  gave 
orders  that  no  sort  of  curiosities  should  be  purchased  by  any  per- 
son whatever.  This  injunction  produced  the  desired  effect 
When  the  inhabitants  saw  that  the  English  would  deal  with  them 
for  nothing  but  eatables,  they  brought  off  bananas  and  cocoa- 
puts  in  abundance,  together  with  some  fowls  and  pigs  ;  all  of 
which  they  exchanged  for  small  nails  and  pieces  of  cloth.  Even 
a  faw  old  rqigs  were  sufficient  for  the  purchase  of  a  pig  or  a 
fowl 

The  method  of  carrying  on  trade  being  settled,  and  proper 
officers  having  been  appointed  to  prevent  disputes,  our  com- 
Riander's  next  object  was  to  obtain  as  complete  a  knowledge  as 


'■  w 


n 


SECOND   yOYAGB. 


201 


possible  of  the  island  of  Amsterdam.  In  this  he  was  roach 
facilitated  by  a  friendship  which  he  had  formed  with  Attago,  one 
of  the  chiefs  of  the  conntry.  Captain  Cook  was  struck  with 
admiration  when  he  surveyed  the  beauty  and  cultivation  of  the 
island.  He  thought  himself  transported  into  the  most  feitile 
plains  01  Europe.  There  was  not  an  inch  of  waste  ground.^ 
The  roads  occupied  no  larger  a  space  than  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  the  fences  did  not  take  up  above  four  inches  etch. 
Even  such  a  small  portion  of  ground  was  not  wholly  lost,  for 
many  of  the  fences  themselves  contained  useful  trees  or  plauts. 
The  scene  was  everywhere  the  same,  and  nature,  assisted  by  a 
little  art,  nowhere  assumes  a  more  splendid  appearance  than  in 
this  island. 

Friendly  as  were  the  natives  of  Amsterdam,  they  were  not 
entirely  free  from  the  thievish  disposition  which  hath  so  often 
been  remarked  in  the  islanders  of  the  Southern  Ocean.  The 
instances,  however,  of  this  kind  which  occurred,  were  not  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  produce  any  extraordinary  degree  of  trouble,  or 
to  involve  our  people  in  a  quarrel  with  the  inhabitants. 

Captain  Cook's  introduction  to  the  king  of  the  island  afforded 
a  scene  somewhat  remarkable.  His  majesty  was  seated  with  «o 
much  sullen  and  stupid  gravity,  that  the  captain  took  him  for  an 
idiot,  whom  the  Indians,  from  some  superstitious  reasons,  were 
ready  to  worship.  When  our  commander  saluted  and  spoke  to 
him,  he  neither  answered  nor  took  the  least  notice  of  him,  nor 
did  he  alter  a  single  feature  of  his  countenance.  Even  the  pre- 
sents which  were  made  to  him  could  not  induce  him  to  resign  a 
bit  of  his  gravity,  or  to  speak  one  word,  or  to  turn  his  head 
either  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  As  he  was  in  the  prime 
of  life,  it  was  possible  that  a  false  sense  of  dignity  might  engage 
him  to  assume  so  solemn  a  stupidity  of  appearance.  In  the  his- 
tory of  mankind  instances  might  probably  be  found  which  would 
confirm  this  supposition. 

It  is  observable  that  the  two  islands  of  Middleburg  and  Am- 

9* 


■'     Ji 


mh 


hi 


202 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


sterdam  are  guarded  from  the  sea  by  a  reef  of  coral  rocks, 
which  extend  out  from  the  shore  about  one  hundred  fathoms. 
On  tills  reef  the  force  of  the  sea  is  spent  before  it  reaches  the 
land.  The  same,  indeed,  is  in  a  great  measure  the  situation  of 
all  the  tropical  isles  which  our  commander  had  seen  in  that  part 
of  the  globe  ;  and  hence  arises  an  evidence  of  the  wisdom  and 
goodness  of  Providence,  as  by  such  a  provision  nature  has 
effectually  secured  them  from  the  encroachments  of  the  sea, 
though  many  of  them  are  mere  points,  when  compared  with  the 
vast  ocean  by  which  they  are  surrounded. 

In  Amsterdam  Mr.  Forster  not  only  found  the  same  wants 
that  are  at  Otaheite  and  the  neighbouring  islands,  but  several 
others,  which  are  not  to  be  met  with  in  those  places.  Captain 
Cook  took  care,  by  a  proper  assortment  of  garden  seeds  and 
pulse,  to  increase  the  vegetable  stock  of  the  inhabitants. 

Hogs  and  fowls  were  the  only  domestic  animals  that  were  seen 
in  these  islands.  The  former  are  of  the  same  sort  with  those 
which  had  been  met  with  in  other  parts  of  the  Southern  Ocean, 
but  the  latter  are  far  superior,  being  as  large  as  any  in  Europe, 
and  equal,  if  not  preferable,  with  respect  to  the  goodness  of  their 
flesh. 

Both  men  and  women  are  of  a  common  size  with  Europeans. 
Their  colour  is  that  of  a  lightish  copper,  and  with  a  greater 
uniformity  than  occurs  among  the  natives  of  Otaheite  and  the 
Society  Isles.  Some  of  the  English  gentlemen  were  of  opinion 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Middleburg  and  Amsterdam  were  a  much 
handsomer  race,  while  others,  with  whom  Captain  Cook  con- 
curred, maintained  a  contrary  sentiment.  However  this  may  be, 
their  shape  is  good,  their  features  regular,  and  they  are  active, 
brisk,  and  lively.  The  women,  in  particular,  are  the  merriest 
creatures  our  commander  had  ever  met  with  ;  and  provided  any 
person  seemed  pleased  with  them,  they  would  keep  chattering  by 
his  side  without  the  least  invitation,  or  considering  whether  they 
were  understood.      They  appeared   in  general  to  be  modest, 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


203 


though  there  were  several  amongst  them  of  a  diflferent  character. 
As  there  were  yet  on  board  some  complaints  of  a  certain  disor- 
der, the  captain  took  all  possible  care  to  prevent  its  communica 
tiou.  Our  navigators  were  frequently  entertained  by  the  women 
with  songs,  and  this  in  a  manner  which  was  by  no  means  dis- 
agreeable. They  had  u  method  of  keeping  time  by  snapping 
their  fingers.  Their  music  was  harmonious  as  well  as  their 
voices,  and  there  was  a  considerable  degree  of  compass  in  their 
notes. 

A  singular  custom  was  found  to  prevail  in  these  islands.  The 
greater  part  of  the  people  were  observed  to  have  lost  one  or  both 
of  their  little  fingers,  and  this  was  not  peculiar  to  rank,  age,  or 
sex  ;  nor  was  the  amputation  restricted  to  any  specific  period  of 
life.  Our  navigators  endeavoured  in  vain  to  discover  the  reason 
of  so  extraordinary  a  practice. 

A  very  extensive  knowledge  of  the  language  of  Middleburg 
and  Amsterdam  could  not  be  obtained  during  the  short  stay 
which  was  made  there  by  the  English.  However,  the  more  they 
inquired  into  it,  the  more  they  found  that  it  was,  in  general,  the 
same  with  that  which  is  spoken  at  Otaheite  and  the  Society  Isles. 
The  diflference  is  not  greater  than  what  frequently  occurs  betwixt 
the  most  northern  and  western  parts  of  England. 

On  the  tth  of  October,  Captain  Cook  proceeded  on  his  voy- 
age. His  intention  was  to  sail  directly  to  Queen  Charlotte's 
Sound,  in  New  Zealand,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  in  wood  and 
water,  after  which  he  was  to  pursue  his  discoveries  to  the  south 
and  the  east.  The  day  after  he  quitted  Amsterdam  he  passed 
the  island  of  Pilstart,  an  island  which  bad  been  discovered  by 
Tasman. 

On  the  21st,  he  made  the  laud  of  New  Zealand,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  eight  or  ten  leagues  from  Table  Cape.  As  our  com- 
mander was  very  desirous  of  leaving  in  the  country  such  an  as- 
sortment of  animals  and  vegetables  as  niiglit  greatly  coutn'bnte 
to  the  future  benefit  of  the  inhabitants,  one  of  the  first  things 


II 


1 


204 


CAPTAIN  UOvJK  8 


which  he  did  was  to  give  to  a  chief,  who  had  come  off  in  a 
canoe,  two  boars,  two  sows,  four  hens,  and  two  coclcs,  together 
with  a  quantity  of  seeds.  The  seeds  were  of  the  most  useful 
kind,  such  as  wheat,  French  and  kidney  beans,  pease,  cabbage, 
turnips,  onions,  carrots,  parsnips,  and  yams.  The  man  to 
whom  these  several  articles  were  presented,  though  he  was 
much  more  enraptured  with  a  spike-nail  half  the  length  of  his 
arm,  promised,  however,  to  take  care  of  them,  and  in  particular, 
not  to  kill  any  of  the  animals.  If  he  adhered  to  his  promise, 
they  would  be  sufiQcient,  in  a  due  course  of  time,  to  stock  the 
whole  island. 

It  was  the  3d  of  November  before  Captain  Cook  brought  the 
Resolution  into  Ship  Cove,  in  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound.  He  had 
been  beating  about  the  island  from  the  21st  of  October,  during 
which  time  his  vessel  was  exposed  to  a  variety  of  tempestuous 
weather.  In  one  instance  he  had  been  driven  off  the  land  by  a 
furious  storm,  which  lasted  two  days,  and  which  would  have 
been  dangerous  in  the  highest  degree,  had  it  not  fortunately  hap- 
pened that  it  was  fair  overhead,  and  that  there  was  no  reason 
to  be  apprehensive  of  a  lee-shore.  In  the  course  of  the  bad 
weather  which  succeeded  this  storm,  the  Adventure  was  separated 
from  the  Resolution,  and  was  never  seen  nor  heard  of  through 
the  whole  remainder  of  the  voyage. 

The  first  object  of  our  commander's  attention  after  his  arrival 
in  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  was  to  provide  for  the  repair  of  his 
ship,  which  had  suffered  in  various  respects,  and  especially  in  her 
sails  and  rigging.  Another  matter  which  called  for  his  notice 
was  the  state  of  the  bread  belonging  to  the  vessel,  and  he  had 
the  mortification  of  finding  that  a  large  quantity  of  it  was  dam- 
aged. To  repair  this  loss  in  the  best  manner  he  was  able,  he 
ordered  all  the  casks  to  be  opened,  the  bread  to  be  picked,  and 
such  parcels  of  it  to  be  baked  in  the  copper  oven,  as  could  by 
that  means  be  recovered.  Notwithstanding  this  care,  foui 
thonsand  two  hundred  and  ninety-two  pounds  were  found  totally 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


206 


nnfit  for  use,  and  about  three  thousand  pof»nds  more  could  only 
be  eaten  by  people  in  the  situation  of  our  navigators. 

Captain  Cook  was  early  in  bis  iuqulries  concerning  the  ani* 
mals  which  had  been  left  at  New  Zealand  in  the  former  part  ot 
his  voyage.  He  saw  the  youngest  of  the  two  sows  that  Captain 
Furneaux  had  put  on  shore  in  Cannibal  Cove.  She  was  in  good 
condition,  and  very  tame.  The  boar  and  other  sow,  if  our  com- 
mander was  rightly  informed,  were  taken  away  and  separated, 
but  not  killed.  He  was  told  that  the  two  goats,  which  he  had 
landed  up  the  sound,  had  been  destroyed  by  a  rascally  native  of 
the  name  of  Goubiah,  so  that  the  captain  had  the  grief  of  dis- 
covering that  all  his  benevolent  endeavours  to  stock  the  country 
with  useful  animals  were  likely  to  be  frustrated  by  the  very  peo- 
ple whom  he  was  anxious  to  serve.  The  gardens  had  met  with 
a  better  fate.  Everything  in  them,  excepting  potatoes,  the  inhab 
tants  had  left  entirely  to  nature,  who  had  so  well  performed 
her  part,  that  most  of  the  articles  were  in  flourishing  con- 
dition. 

Notwithstanding  the  inattention  and  folly  of  the  New  Zea- 
landers,  Captain  Cook  still  continued  his  zeal  for  their  benefit. 
To  the  inhabitants  who  resided  at  the  cove,  he  gave  a  boar,  a 
young  sow,  two  cocks,  and  two  hens,  which  had  been  brought 
from  the  Society  Islands.  At  the  bottom  of  the  West  Bay  he 
ordered  to  be  landed  without  the  knowledge  of  the  Indians,  four 
hogs,  being  three  sows  and  one  boar,  together  with  two  cocks 
and  two  hens.  They  were  carried  a  little  way  into  the  woods, 
and  as  much  food  was  left  them  as  would  serve  them  for  ten  or 
twelve  days,  which  was  done  to  prevent  their  coming  down  to 
the  shore  in  search  of  sustenance,  and  by  that  means  being  dis- 
covered by  the  natives.  The  captain  was  desirous  of  replacing 
the  two  goats  which  Goubiah  was  understood  to  have  killed,  by 
leaving  behind  him  the  only  two  that  yet  remained  in  his  pos- 
session. But  he  had  the  misfortune,  soon  after  his  arrival  at 
Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  to  lose  the  ram,  and  this  in  a  manner 


i^  ii 


mm 


•mm 


1206 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


for  which  it  was  not  easy  to  assign  the  cause.  Whether  it  wag 
owing  to  anything  he  had  eaten,  or  to  his  being  stung  with 
nettles,  which  were  very  plentiful  in  the  place,  he  was  seized 
with  fits  that  bordered  upon  madness.  In  one  of  these  fits,  he 
was  supposed  to  have  run  into  the  sea,  and  to  have  been  drown- 
ed ;  and  thus  every  method  which  our  commander  had  taken  to 
stock  the  country  with  sheep  and  goats,  proved  ineffectual.  He 
hoped  to  be  more  successful  with  respect  respect  to  the  boars 

and  sows,  and  the  cocks  and  hens,  which  he  left  on  the 
island. 

While  the  boatswain,  one  day,  and  a  party  of  men,  were  em- 
ployed in  cutting  broom,  some  of  them  stole  several  things  from 
a  private  hut  of  the  natives,  in  which  was  deposited  most  of  the 
treasures  they  had  received  from  the  English,  as  well  as  property 
of  their  own.  Complaint  being  made  by  the  Indians  to  Captain 
Cook,  and  a  particular  man  of  the  boatswain's  party  having  been 
pointed  out  to  the  captain  as  the  person  who  had  committed  the 
theft,  he  ordered  him  to  be  punished  in  their  presence.  With  this 
they  went  away  seemingly  satisfied,  although  they  did  not  recover 
any  o."  the  articles  which  they  had  lost.  It  was  always  a  maxim 
with  our  commander,  to  punish  the  least  crimes  which  any  of  his 
people  were  guilty  of  with  regard  to  uncivilized  nations.  Their 
robbing  us  with  impunity  he  by  no  means  considered  as  reason 
for  our  treating  them  in  the  same  manner.  Addicted  as  the  New 
Zealanders  were,  in  a  certain  degree,  to  stealing,  a  disposition 
which  must  have  been  very  much  increased  by  the  novelty  and 
allurement  of  the  objects  presented  to  their  view,  they  had, 
nevertheless,  when  injured  themselves,  such  a  sense  of  justice  as 
to  apply  to  Captain  Cook  for  redress.  The  best  method,  in  his 
opinion,  of  preserving  a  good  understanding  with  the  inhabi- 
tants of  countries  in  this  state  of  society,  is,  first  to  convince 
them  of  the  superiority  we  have  over  them  in  consequence  of  our 
fire-arms,  and  then  t«  be  always  upon  our  guard.  Such  a  conduct, 
united  with  strict  honesty  and  gentle  treatment,  will  convinoe 


8ECX)ND   YOTAQB, 


207 


them  that  it  is  their  interest  not  do  disturb  ns,  and  pre  rent  them 
from  forming  any  general  plan  of  attack. 

In  this  second  visit  of  our  navigators  to  New  Zealand,  they 
met  with  indubitable  evidence  that  the  natives  were  eaters  of 
human  flesh.  The  proofs  of  this  fact  had  a  most  powerful  in- 
fluence on  the  mind  of  Oedidee,  a  youth  of  Bolabola,  whom  Cap- 
tain Cook  had  brought  in  the  Resolution  from  Ulietea.  He  was 
so  afifected,  that  he  became  perfectly  motionless,  and  exhibited 
such  a  picture  of  horror  that  it  woulu  have  been  impossible  for 
art  to  describe  that  passion,  with  half  the  force  with  which  it 
appeared  in  his  countenance.  When  he  was  roused  from  this 
state  by  some  of  the  English,  he  burst  into  tears,  continued  to 
weep  and  scold  by  turns,  told  the  New  Zealanders  that  they 
were  vile  men,  and  assured  them  that  he  would  not  be  any  long- 
er their  friend.  He  would  not  so  much  as  permit  them  to  come 
near  him  ;  and  he  refused  to  accept,  or  even  to  touch,  the  knife 
with  which  some  human  flesh  had  been  cut  oflf.  Such  was  Oedi- 
dee's  indignation  against  the  abominable  custom  ;  and  our  com- 
mander has  justly  remarked,  that  it  was  an  indignation  worthy 
to  be  imitated  by  every  rational  being.  The  conduct  of  this 
young  man,  upon  the  present  occasion,  strongly  points  out  the 
difference  which  had  taken  place,  in  the  progress  of  civiliza- 
tion, between  the  inhabitants  of  the  Society  Islands  and  those  of 
New  Zealand.  It  was  our  commander's  firm  opinion,  that  the 
only  human  flesh  which  was  eaten  by  these  people  was  that  of 
their  enemies,  who  had  been  slain  in  battle. 

During  the  stay  of  our  voyagers  in  Queen  Charlotte^s  Sound, 
they  were  plentifully  supplied  with  fish,  procured  from  the  na- 
tives at  a  very  easy  rate  ;  and,  besides  the  vegetables  afforded  by 
their  own  gardens,  they  everywhere  found  plenty  of  scurvy-grass 
and  celery.  These  the  captain  ordered  to  be  dressed  every  day 
for  all  his  hands.  By  the  attention  which  he  paid  to  his  meu 
in  the  article  of  provisions,  they  had  for  three  months  lived  prin- 


I  ■  ' 


]■' 


wm 


■  ','■  ffi)' 


:/" 


1-  'fr 


,•( 


l! 


m 


20S 


CAPTAIN   COOK'6 


cipally  on  a  fresh  diet,  and,  at  tbis  time  there  was  not  a  sick  or 
Bcorbiitic  person  on  board. 

The  moriiing  leforo  the  captain  sailed,  he  wrote  a  memoran- 
dam,  containing  such  information  as  he  thought  necessary  for 
rCaptain  Furneaux,  in  case  he  should  put  into  the  sound.  This 
memorandum  was  buried  in  a  bottle  under  the  root  of  a  tree  in 
the  garden  ;  and  in  such  a  manner,  that  it  could  not  avoid  being 
discovered,  if  either  Captain  Furneaux,  or  any  other  European, 
should  chance  to  arrive  at  the  cove. 

Our  commander  did  not  leave  New  Zealand  without  making 
such  remarks  on  the  coast  between  Cape  Teerawhitte  and  Cape 
Palliser  as  may  be  of  service  to  future  navigators.  It  being  now 
the  unanimous  opinion  that  the  Adventure  was  nowhere  upon 
the  island,  Captain  Cook  gave  up  all  expectation  of  seeing  her 
an  more  during  the  voyage.  This  circumstance,  however,  did 
not  discourage  him  from  fully  exploring  the  southern  parts  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  in  the  doing  of  which  he  intended  to  employ 
the  whole  of  the  ensuing  season.  When  he  quitted  the  coast, 
he  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  not  a  man  of  the  crew  was 
dejected,  or  thought  that  tlie  dangers  they  had  yet  to  go  through 
were  in  the  least  augumonted  by  their  being  alone.  Such  was 
the  confidence  they  placed  in  their  commander,  that  they  were 
as  ready  to  proceed  cheerfully  to  the  south,  or  wherever  he 
might  lead  them,  as  if  the  Adventure,  or  even  a  larger  number 
of  ships,  had  been  in  company. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  Captain  Cook  sailed  from  New 
Zealand  in  search  of  a  continent,  and  steered  to  the  south,  inclin- 
ing to  the  east.  Some  days  after  this,  our  navigators  reckoned 
themselves  to  be  antipodes  to  their  friends  in  London,  and  conse- 
quently were  at  as  great  a  distance  from  them  as  possible.  The 
first  ice  island  was  seen  on  the  12th  of  December,  farther  scuth 
than  the  first  ice  which  had  been  met  with  after  leaving  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  the  preceding  year.     In  the  progresii  of 


BKCOND   VOTAOR. 


209 


tho  voyage,  ice  islands  continually  occurred,  and  the  navigation 
became  more  and  more  difficult  and  dangerous.  When  our  peo- 
ple were  in  the  latitude  of  67°  5'  south,  they  all  at  once  got 
within  such  a  cluster  of  these  islands,  together  with  a  large 
quantity  of  loose  pieces,  that  to  keep  clear  of  them  was  a  matter 
of  the  utmost  difficulty.  On  the  22d  of  the  month,  the  Resolu- 
tion was  in  the  highest  latitude  she  had  yet  reached  ;  and  cir- 
cumstances now  became  so  unfavourable,  that  our  commander 
thought  of  returning  more  to  the  north.  Here  there  was  no 
probability  of  finding  any  land,  or  a  possibility  of  getting  farther 
Bouth.  To  have  proceeded,  therefore,  to  the  east  in  this  latitude, 
must  have  been  improper,  not  only  on  account  of  the  ice,  but 
because  a  vast  space  of  sea  to  the  north  must  have  been  left 
unexplored,  in  which  there  might  lie  a  large  tract  of  country. 
It  was  only  by  visiting  those  parts,  that  it  could  be  determined 
whether  such  a  supposition  was  well  founded.  As  our  navigators 
advanced  to  the  northeast  on  the  24th,  the  ice  islands  increased 
80  fast  upon  them,  that,  at  noon,  they  could  see  net  rly  a  hundred 
around  them,  besides  an  immense  number  of  small  pieces.  In 
this  situation  they  spent  Christmas-day,  much  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  they  had  done  in  the  former  year.  Happily  our  people 
had  continual  day-light,  and  clear  weather  ;  for  had  it  been  as 
fogg)  as  it  was  on  some  preceding  days,  nothing  less  than  a 
miracle  could  have  saved  them  from  being  dashed  to  pieces. 

While  the  Resolution  was  in  the  high  latitudes,  many  of  her 
company  were  attacked  with  a  slight  fever,  occasioned  by  colds 
The  disorder,  however,  yielded  to  the  simplest  remedies,  and  was 
generally  removed  in  a  few  days.  On  the  5th  of  January,  1174, 
the  ship  not  being  then  in  much  more  than  fifty  degrees  of  lati- 
tude, there  were  only  one  or  two  persons  on  the  sick  list. 

After  Captain  Cook,  agreeably  to  his  late  resolution,  had 
traversed  a  large  extent  of  ocean,  without  discovering  land,  he 
again  directed  his  course  to  the  southward.  By  the  30th  of  the 
month,  *hrough  obstructions  and  difficulties  which,  from  their 


i; 


■m 


,  i 


ml 


ft: 


wmm 


:     I  • 


m 

ii 

■    •."  i'  ir 

■  t    '  I.'  4: 

li     '         -f-!   ^j'  h      - 

';,''■'■' 

:;.  .,.;.-i.g. 

m 

-Mil 


-<  '■, 


ii 


210 


OAITAIN   COOK  8 


ill 


similar  nature  to  those  already  montioncii,  it  would  be  tedious  to 
repeat,  ho  reached  to  the  seventy-lirHt  detrreo  of  latitude  Thus 
far  had  he  gone  ;  but  to  have  proceeded  farther  would  have 
been  the  height  of  folly  and  madness.  It  would  have  been 
exposing  himself,  his  men,  and  his  ship,  to  the  utmost  danger, 
and  perhaps  to  destruction,  without  the  least  prospect  of  advan- 
tage. The  captain  was  of  opinion,  as  indeed  were  most  of  the 
gentlemen  on  board,  that  the  ice  now  in  sight  extended  quite  to 
the  pole,  or  might  join  to  some  land,  to  which  it  might  be  fixed 
from  the  earliest  time.  If,  however,  there  bo  such  land,  it  can 
afford  no  better  retreat  for  birds,  or  any  other  animals,  than  the 
ice  itself,  with  which  it  must  be  wholly  covered.  Though  our 
commander  had  not  only  the  ambition  of  going  farther  than  any 
one  had  done  before,  but  of  proceeding  as  far  as  it  was  possible 
for  man  to  go,  he  was  the  less  satisfied  with  the  interruption  ho 
now  met  with,  as  it  shortened  the  dangers  and  hardships  in- 
separable from  the  navigation  of  the  southern  polar  regions.  In 
fact  he  was  impelled  by  inevitable  necessity  to  tack  and  stand 
buck  to  the  north. 

The  determination  which  Captain  Cook  now  formed  was  to 
spend  the  ensuing  winter  within  the  tropic,  if  he  met  with  no 
employment  before  he  came  there.  lie  was  well  satisfied  that 
no  continent  was  to  be  found  in  this  ocean,  but  what  must  lie  so 
far  to  the  south  as  to  be  wholly  unaccessible  on  account  of  ice. 
If  there  existed  a  continent  in  the  South  Atlantic  Ocean,  he 
was  sensible  that  he  could  not  explore  it  without  having  the 
whole  summer  before  him.  Upon  a  sujiposition,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  there  is  no  land  there,  he  might  undoubtedly  have 
reached  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  by  April.  In  that  case  he 
would  have  put  an  end  to  the  finding  of  a  continent  ;  which  was 
indeed  the  first  object  of  the  voyage.  But  this  could  not  satisfy 
the  extensive  and  mognar.imous  mind  of  our  commander.  Ho 
had  a  good  ship,  expressly  sent  out  on  discoveries,  a  healthj 
crew,  and  was  not  in  want  either  of  stores  or  provisions.     In 


SECOND    VOTAOK. 


211 


In 


sucli  oircumstar  CCS  to  have  quitted  tliia  Sonthorn  Pacific  Ocean, 
would,  he  thought,  have  been  hetrnyiiig  not  only  a  want  of  per- 
Kcveranco,  but  of  judgment,  in  aupjjosing  it  to  hiivc  been  so  well 
explored  that  nothing  farther  could  be  done.  Althougli  he  had 
proved  that  there  was  no  continent  but  what  must  lie  far  to  the 
south,  there  remained,  nevertheless,  room  for  very  large  islands 
in  places  wholly  unexamined.  Many,  likewise,  of  those  which 
had  formerly  been  discovered  had  been  but  imperfectly  explored, 
and  their  situatious  were  as  imperfectly  known.  Lie  was  also 
persuaded  that  his  continuing  some  time  longer  in  this  sea  would 
be  productive  of  improvements  in  navigation  ond  geography,  as 
well  as  in  other  sciences. 

In  consequence  of  these  views,  it  was  Captain  Cook's  intention 
first  to  go  in  search  of  the  land  said  to  have  been  discovered  by 
Juan  Fernandez  in  the  last  century.  If  he  should  fail  In  finding 
this  land,  he  proposed  to  direct  his  course  in  quest  of  Easter 
Island,  or  Davis's  Land,  the  situation  of  which  was  known  with 
so  little  certainty,  that  none  of  the  attempts  lately  made  for  its 
discovery  had  been  successful.  He  next  intended  to  get  within 
the  tropic,  and  then  to  proceed  to  the  west,  touching  at,  and 
settling  the  situations  of  such  islands  as  he  might  meet  with  till 
he  arrived  at  Otaheite,  where  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  stop, 
to  look  for  the  Adventure.  It  was  also  in  his  contemplation  to 
run  as  far  west  as  the  Tierra  Austral  del  Espiritu  Santo,  which 
was  discovered  by  Quiros,  and  to  which  M.  de  Bougainville  has 
given  the  name  of  the  Great  Cyclades.  From  this  land  it  was 
the  captain's  plan  to  steer  to  the  south,  and  so  back  to  the  east, 
between  the  latitudes  of  fifty  and  sixty.  In  the  execution  of 
tliis  plan,  it  was  his  purpose,  if  possible,  to  attain  the  length  of 
Cape  Horn  in  the  ensuing  November,  when  he  should  have  the 
best  part  of  the  summer  before  him  to  explore  the  southern  part 
of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Great  as  was  this  design,  our  commander 
thought  it  capable  of  being  carried  into  execution  ;  and  when  he 
communicated  it  to  his  officers.,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  finding 


i'' 


;|i:!;: 


lifHll 


212 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


that  it  received  their  zealous  and  cheerful  concurrence.  They 
displayed  the  utmost  readiness  in  executing,  in  the  most  effectual 
manner,  every  measure  he  thought  proper  to  adopt.  With  such 
good  examples  to  direct  them,  the  seamen  were  always  obedient 
and  alert ;  and  on  the  present  occasion,  so  far  were  they  from 
wishing  the  voyage  to  be  concluded,  that  they  rejoiced  at  the 
prospect  of  its  being  prolonged  another  year,  and  of  soon  enjoy- 
ing the  benefits  of  a  milder  climate. 

In  pursuing  his  course  to  the  north,  Captain  Cook  became  well 
assured  that  the  discovery  of  Juan  Fernandez,  if  any  such  was 
ever  made,  could  be  nothing  more  than  a  small  island.  At  this 
time  the  captain  was  attacked  by  a  bilious  colic,  the  violence  of 
which  confined  him  to  his  bed.  The  management  of  the  ship, 
upon  this  occasion,  was  left  to  Mr.  Cooper,  the  first  officer,  who 
conducted  her  entirely  to  his  commander's  satisfaction.  It  was 
several  days  before  the  most  dangerous  symptoms  of  Captain 
Cook's  disorder  were  removed,  during  which  time  Mr.  Patten, 
the  surgeon,  in  attending  upon  him,  manifested  not  only  the  skil- 
fulness  of  a  physician,  but  the  tenderness  of  a  nurse.  When 
the  captain  began  to  recover,  a  favourite  dog,  belunging  to  Mr. 
Forster,  fell  a  sacrifice  to  his  tender  stomach.  There  was  no 
other  fresh  meat  whatever  on  board,  and  he  could  eat  not  only 
of  the  broth  which  was  made  of  it,  but  of  the  flesh  itself,  when 
there  was  nothing  else  that  he  was  capable  of  tasting.  Thus  did 
he  derive  nourishment  and  strength  from  food,  which,  to  most 
people  in  Europe,  would  have  been  in  the  highest  degree  disgust- 
ing, and  productive  of  sickness.  The  necessity  of  the  case  over- 
came every  feeling  of  dislike. 

On  the  11th  of  March  our  navigators  came  within  sight  of 
Easter  Island,  or  Davis's  Land,  their  transactions  at  which  place 
were  of  too  little  moment  to  deserve  a  particular  recital.  The 
inhabitants  are,  in  general,  a  slender  race.  In  colour,  features, 
and  language,  they  bear  such  an  affinity  to  the  jieople  of  the 
more  western  isles,  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  their  having 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


213 


been  descended  from  one  common  original  It  is  indeed  extra- 
ordinary that  the  same  nation  should  haie  spread  themselves  to 
so  wide  an  extent,  as  to  take  in  almost  a  fourth  part  of  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  globe.  With  regard  to  the  disposition  of  the 
natives  of  Easter  Island,  it  is  friendly  and  hospitable  ;  but  they 
are  as  much  addicted  to  stealing  as  any  of  their  neighbours. 
The  island  itself  hath  so  little  to  recommend  it,  that  no  nation 
need  to  contend  for  the  honour  of  its  discovery.  S  j  sparing  has 
nature  been  of  her  favours  to  this  spot,  that  there  is  in  it  no  safe 
anchorage,  no  wood  for  fuel,  no  fresh  water  worth  taking  on  board. 
The  most  remarkable  objects  in  the  country  are  some  surprising 
gigantic  statues,  which  were  first  seen  by  Roggewein. 

It  was  with  pleasure  that  our  commander  quitted  a  place  which 
could  afford  such  slender  accommodations  to  voyagers,  and  direct- 
ed his  course  for  the  Marquesas  Islands.  He  had  not  been  long 
at  sea  before  he  was  again  attacked  by  his  bilious  disorder.  The 
attack,  however,  was  not  so  violent  as  the  former  one  had  been. 
He  had  reason  to  believe  that  the  relurn  of  his  disease  was 
Dwing  to  his  having  exposed  and  fatigued  himself  too  much  at 
^  Easter  Island. 

On  the  6th  and  7th  of  April,  our  navigators  came  within  sight 
of  four  islands,  which  they  knew  to  be  the  Marquesas.  To  one 
of  them,  which  was  a  new  discovery.  Captain  Cook  gave  the 
name  of  Hood's  Island,  after  that  of  the  young  gentleman  by 
whom  it  was  first  seen.  As  soon  as  the  ship  was  brought  to  an 
anchor  in  Madre  de  Dies,  or  Resolution  Bay,  in  the  Island  of 
St.  Christina,  a  traflBc  commenced,  in  the  course  of  which  the 
natives  would  frequently  keep  our  goods,  without  making  any 
return.  At  last  the  captain  was  obliged  to  fire  a  musket,  ball 
over  one  man  who  had  several  times  treated  the  English  in  this 
manner.  This  produced  only  a  temporary  effect.  Too  many  of 
the  Indians  having  come  on  board,  our  commander,  who  was 
going  in  a  boat  to  find  a  convenient  place  fur  mooring  the  ship, 
said  to  the  officers,    "  You  luust  look  well  after  these  people,  or 


-M 


y  ■  > 


V    k  1.      It 


mm 


! 


I' 


(! 


-m 


,;fi:ii 


(        \ 

. '  t 

i''  i 


•li^ii 


«  > 


\l 


i  Hi 


214 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


they  will  certainly  carry  off  something  or  other."  Scarcely  had 
he  gotten  into  the  boat,  when  he  was  informed  that  they  had 
stolen  an  iron  stanchion  from  the  opposite  gangway,  and  were 
carrying  it  off.  Upon  this  he  ordered  his  men  to  fire  over  the 
canoe,  till  he  could  get  around  in  the  boat,  but  not  to  kill  any 
one.  Such,  however,  was  the  noise  made  by  the  natives,  that  the 
order  was  not  heard,  and  the  unhappy  thief  was  killed  at  the 
first  shot.  All  the  Indians  having  retired  with  precipitation,  in 
consequence  of  this  unfortunate  accident,  Captain  Cook  followed 
them  into  the  bay,  prevailed  upon  some  of  them  to  come  along- 
side his  boat,  and,  by  suitable  presents,  so  far  conciliated  their 
minds  that  their  fears  seemed  to  be  in  a  great  measure  allayed. 
The  death  of  their  countryman  did  not  cure  them  of  their  thie- 
vish disposition  ;  but  at  length  it  was  somewhat  restrained  by 
their  conviction  that  no  distance  secured  them  from  the  rea''h  of 
our  muskets.  Several  smaller  instances  of  their  talent  at  steal- 
ing the  captain  thought  proper  to  overlook. 

The  provisions  obtained  at  St.  Christina  were  yams,  plantains, 
bread-fruit,  a  few  cocoa-nuts,  fowls  and  small  pigs.  For  a  time 
the  trade  was  carried  on  upon  reasonable  terms,  but  the  market 
was  at  last  ruined  by  the  indiscretion  of  some  young  gentlemen, 
who  gave  away  in  exchange  various  articles  which  the  inhabi- 
tants had  not  seen  before,  and  which  captivated  their  fancy 
above  nails,  or  more  useful  iron  tools.  One  of  the  gentlemen 
had  given  for  a  pig  a  very  large  quantity  of  red  feathers,  which 
he  had  gotten  at  Amsterdam.  The  effect  of  this  was  particularly 
fatal.  It  was  not  post-ible  to  support  the  trade  in  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  was  now  begun,  even  for  a  single  day.  When, 
therefore,  our  commander  found  that  he  was  not  likely  to  be 
supplied  on  any  conditions,  with  sufficient  refreshments,  and  that 
the  island  was  neither  very  convenient  for  taking  in  wood  and 
water,  nor  for  affording  the  necessary  repairs  of  the  ship,  he 
determined  to  proceed  immediately  to  some  other  place  where 
the  wants  of  his  people  could  be  effectually  relieved.      After 


!'... 


SECOND    VOYAGE. 


215 


having  been  nineteen  weeks  at  sea,  and  having  livea  all  that  time 
upon  salt  diet,  a  change  in  their  food  could  not  avoid  being 
peculiarly  desirable  ;  and  yet  on  their  arrival  at  St.  Christina,  it 
could  scarcely  be  asserted  that  a  single  man  was  sick,  and  there 
.were  but  a  few  who  had  the  least  complaint  of  any  kind.  "  This," 
says  Captain  Cook,  "  was  undoubtedly  owing  to  the  many  anti 
scorbutic  articles  we  had  on  board,  and  to  the  great  attention  of 
the  surgeon,  who  was  remarkably  careful  to  apply  them  in  time." 
It  may  justly  be  added,  that  this  was  likewise  owing  to  the  sin- 
gular care  of  the  captain  himself,  and  to  the  exertion  of  his 
authority  in  enforcing  the  excellent  regulations  which  his  wisdom 
and  humanity  had  adopted. 

The  chief  reason  for  our  commander's  touching  at  the  Mar- 
quesas Islands  was  to  fix  their  situation,  that  being  the  only  cir- 
cumstance in  which  the  nautical  account  of  them,  given  in  Mr. 
Palrymple's  collection,  is  deficient.  It  was  farther  desirable  to 
settle  this  point,  as  it  would  lead  to  a  more  accurate  knowledge 
of  Mendana's  other  discoveries.  Accordingly  Captain  Cook  has 
marked  the  situation  of  the  Marquesas  with  his  usual  correctness. 
He  has  also  taken  care  to  describe  the  particular  cove  in  Resolu- 
tion Bay,  in  the  Island  of  St.  Christina,  which  is  most  convenient 
for  obtaining  wood  and  water. 

It  is  remarkable  with  respect  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mar- 
quesas Islands,  that  collectively  taken,  they  are,  without  excep- 
tion, the  finest  race  of  people  in  this  sea.  Perhaps  they  surpass 
all  other  nations  in  symmetry  of  form  and  regularity  of  features 
It  is  plain,  however,  from  the  aflBnity  of  their  language  to  that  of 
Otaheite  and  the  Society  Isles,  that  they  are  of  the  same  origin 
Of  this  affinity  the  English  were  fully  sensible,  though  they 
could  not  converse  with  them;  but  Oedidee  was  capable  of  doing 
it  tolerably  well. 

From  the  Marquesar.  Captain  Cook  steered  for  Otaheite,  with 
a  view  of  falling  in  with  some  of  the  islands  discovered  by  for 
mer  navigators,  and  especially  by  the  Dutch,  the  situation  of 


41 


li 


r  Tt.tj 


I,'    f  r  f     1   J 

f '  ihi 


216 


CAPTAHJ   COOK  8 


y 


which  had  not  been  accurately  determined.  In  the  course  of  the 
voyage,  he  passed  a  number  of  low  islets,  connected  together  by 
reefs  of  coral  rocks.  One  of  the  islands,  on  which  Lieutenant 
Cooper  went  ashore  with  two  boats,  well  armed,  was  called  by 
the  natives  Tiookea.  It  had  been  discovered  and  visited  by  Cap- 
tain Byron.  The  inhabitants  of  Tiookea  are  of  a  much  darker 
colour  than  those  of  the  higher  islands,  and  appeared  to  be  more 
fierce  in  their  dispositions.  This  may  be  owing  to  their  manner 
of  gaining  their  subsistence,  which  is  chiefly  from  the  sea,  and  to 
their  being  much  exposed  to  the  sun  and  the  weather.  Our  voy- 
agers observed  that  they  were  stout,  well-made  men,  and  that 
they  had  marked  on  their  bodies  the  figure  of  a  fish,  which  was 
a  good  emblem  of  their  profession. 

Besides  passing  by  St.  George's  Islands,  which  had  been  so 
named  by  Captain  Byron,  our  commander  made  the  discovery  of 
four  others.  These  he  called  Palliser's  Isles,  in  honour  of  his 
particular  friend,  Sir  Hugh  Palliser.  The  inhabitants  seemed  to 
be  the  same  sort  of  people  as  those  of  Tiookea,  and  like  them, 
were  armed  with  long  pikes.  Captain  Cook  could  not  determine, 
with  any  degree  of  certainty,  whether  the  group  of  isles  he  had 
lately  seen  were,  or  were  not,  any  of  those  that  had  been  dis- 
covered by  the  Dutch  navigators.  This  was  owing  to  the  neglect 
of  recording,  with  suflBeient  accuracy,  the  situation  of  their  dis- 
coveries. Our  commander  hath,  in  general,  observed,  with 
regard  to  this  part  of  the  ocean,  that,  from  the  latitude  of 
twenty  down  to  fourteen  or  twelve,  and  from  the  meridian  of  a 
nuiidred  and  thirty-eight  to  a  hundred  and  forty-eight  or  a  hnii- 
'  dred  and  fifty  west,  it  is  so  strewed  with  low  isles,  that  a  naviga- 
tor cannot  proceed  with  too  much  caution. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  Captain  Cook  reached  the  Island  of 
Otaheite,  and  anchored  in  Matavia  Bay.  As  his  chief  reason 
for  putting  in  at  this  place  was  to  give  Mr.  Wales  an  opportu- 
nity of  ascertaining  the  error  of  the  watch  by  the  known  lon- 
gitude, and  to  determine  anew  her  rate  of  going,  the  first  ^^l>- 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


217 


ject  was  to  land  the  instraments,  and  to  erect  tents  for  the 


tion  of  a  guard,  and  such  other  people  as  it  was 
have   on  shore.    Sick  there  were  none  ;  for  the 


recep- 
necessary  to 
refreshments 

which  had  been  obtained  at  the  Marquesas  had  removed  every 
complaint  of  that  kind. 

From  the  quantity  of  provisions  which,  contrary  to  expecta- 
tion, our  commander  now  found  at  Otaheite,  he  determined  to 
make  a  longer  stay  in  the  island  than  he  had  at  first  intended. 
Accordingly,  he  took  measures  for  the  repairs  of  the  ship, 
which  the  high  southern  latitudes  had  rendered  indispensably 
necessary. 

During  Captain  Cook's  stay  at  Otaheite,  he  maintained  a  most 
triendly  connexion  with  the  inhabitants,  and  a  continual  inter- 
change of  visits  was  preserved  between  him  and  Otoo,  Towha, 
and  other  chiefs  of  the  country.  His  traffic  with  them  was 
greatly  facilitated  by  his  having  fortunately  brought  with  him 
some  red  parrot  feathers  from  the  Island  of  Amsterdaiii.  These 
were  jewels  of  high  value  in  the  eyes  of  the  Otaheitans.  The 
captain's  stock  in  trade  was  by  this  time  greatly  exhausted  ;  so 
that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  feathers,  he  would  have  found  it 
difficult  to  have  supplied  the  ship  with  the  necessary  refreshments. 

Among  other  entertainments  which  our  commander  and  the  rest 
of  the  English  gentlemen  met  with  at  Otaheite  was  a  grand  naval 
review.  The  vessels  of  war  consisted  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  large 
double  canoes,  well  equipped,  manned  and  armed.  They  were 
decorated  with  flags  and  streamers,  and  the  chiefs,  together  with 
all  those  who  were  on  the  fighting  stages,  were  dressed  in  their  war 
habits.  The  whole  fleet  made  a  noble  appearance,  and  such  as 
our  voyagers  had  never  seen  before  in  this  sea,  or  could  ever 
have  expected.  Besides  the  vessels  of  war,  there  were  a  hun- 
dred and  se^'enty  sail  of  smaller  double  canoes,  which  seemed  to 
be  designed  for  transports  and  victuallers.  Upon  each  of  them 
was  a  little  bouse,  and  they  were  rigged  with  mast  and  sail, 
which  was  not  the  case  wiih  the  war  canoes.     Captain  Cuuk 

10 


M 


S.,|f 


}  i  I- 


218 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


guessed  that  there  were  no  less  than  seven  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  sixty  men  in  the  whole  fleet.  He  was  not  able  to 
obtain  full  information  concerning  the  design  of  this  arma- 
ment. 

Notwithstanding  the  agreeable  intercourse  that  was  in  gene- 
ral maintained  between  our  commander  and  the  people  of  Ota- 
heite,  circumstances  occasionally  happened  which  called  for  pe- 
culiar exertions  of  his  prudence  and  resolution.  One  of  the  na- 
tives, who  had  attempted  to  steal  a  water-cask  from  the  water- 
ing place,  was  caught  in  the  act,  sent  on  board  and  put  in  irons. 
In  this  situation  he  was  seen  by  King  Otoo  and  other  chiefs. 
Captain  Cook  having  made  known  to  them  the  crime  of  their 
countryman,  Otoo  entreated  that  he  might  be  set  at  liberty. 
This  the  captain  however  refused,  alleging  that  since  he  pun- 
ished his  own  people  when  they  committed  the  least  ofl'ence 
agamst  Otoo's,  it  was  but  just  that  this  man  should  also  be  pun- 
ished. As  Captain  Cook  knew  that  Otoo  would  not  punish  him, 
he  resolved  to  do  it  himself.  Accordingly,  he  directed  the 
criminal  to  be  carried  on  shore  to  the  tents,  and  having  him- 
self followed,  with  the  chiefs  and  other  Otaheitans,  he  ordered 
the  guard  out,  under  arms,  and  commanded  the  man  to  be 
tied  up  to  a  post.  Otoo  again  solicited  the  culprit's  release, 
and  in  this  he  was  seconded  by  his  sister,  but  in  vain.  The 
captain  expostulated  with  him  on  the  conduct  of  the  man, 
and  of  the  Indians  in  general,  telling  him,  that  neither  he, 
nor  any  of  the  ship's  company,  took  the  smallest  matter  of  pro- 
perty from  them  without  first  paying  for  it  ;  enumerating  the 
articles  which  the  English  had  given  in  exchange  for  such  and 
such  things,  and  urging  that  it  was  wrong  in  them  to  steal  from 
those  who  were  their  friends.  He  added,  that  the  punishing  of 
the  guilty  person  would  be  the  means  of  saving  the  lives  of  sev- 
eral of  Otoo's  people  by  deterring  them  from  committing  crimes 
of  the  like  nature,  and  thus  preventing  them  from  the  danger  of 
being  shot  to  death,  which  would  certainly  happen,  at  one  time 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


219 


or  other,  if  they  persisted  in  their  robberies.  With  these  argu- 
ments the  king  appeared  to  be  satisfied,  and  only  desired  that 
the  man  might  not  be  killed.  Captain  Cuok  then  directed  that 
the  crowd,  which  was  very  great,  sliould  be  kept  at  a  proper  dis- 
tance, and  in  the  presence  of  them  all,  ordered  the  fellow  two  dozen 
of  lashes  with  a  cat-o'-nine  tails.  This  punishment  the  man  sus- 
tained with  great  firmness,  after  which  he  was  set  at  liberty. 
When  the  natives  were  going  away,  Towha  called  them  back, 
and  with  much  gracefulness  of  action,  addressed  them  in  a  speech 
of  nearly  half  an  hour  in  length,  the  design  of  which  was  to 
condemn  their  present  conduct,  and  to  recommend  a  difiereut 
one  for  the  future.  To  make  a  farther  impression  upon  the 
minds  of  the  inhabitants,  our  commander  ordered  his  marines  to 
go  through  their  exercises,  and  to  load  and  fire  in  volleys  with 
balls.  As  they  were  very  quick  in  their  raanoeuvres,  it  is  more 
easy  to  conceive  than  to  describe  the  amazement  which  possessed 
the  Indians  during  the  whole  time,  and  especially  those  of  them 
who  had  not  seen  anything  of  the  kind  before. 

The  judicious  will  discern,  with  regard  to  this  narrative,  that 
it  throws  peculiar  light  upon  Captain  Cook's  character.  Nor  is 
it  an  nncurious  circumstance  in  the  history  of  human  society, 
that  a  stranger  should  thus  exercise  jurisdiction  over  the  natives 
of  a  country,  in  the  presence  of  the  prince  of  that  country,  with- 
out his  authority  and  even  contrary  to  his  solicitations. 

Another  disagreeable  altercation  with  the  inhabitants  of  Ota- 
heite,  arose  from  the  negligence  of  one  of  the  English  sentinels 
on  shore.  Having  either  slept,  or  quitted  his  post,  an  Indian 
seized  the  opportunity  of  carrying  off  his  musket.  When  any 
extraordinary  theft  was  committed,  it  immediately  excited  such 
an  alarm  among  the  natives  in  general,  from  their  fear  of  Cap- 
tain Cook's  resentment,  they  fled  from  their  habitations,  and  a 
stop  was  put  to  the  traffic  for  provisions.  On  the  present  oc- 
casion, the  captain  had  no  small  degree  of  trouble  ;  but  by  hia 
prudent  conduct  the  musket  was  recovered,  peac^  restored,  and 


:l 


■;i^i 


!:.!. 


220 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


commerce  again  opened.  In  the  diflFerences  which  happened 
with  the  several  people  he  met  with  in  his  voyages,  it  was  a 
rule  with  him  never  to  touch  the  least  article  of  their  i)roperty, 
any  farther  than  to  detain  their  canoes  for  a  while  when  it  be- 
came absolutely  necessary.  He  always  chose  the  most  mild  and 
equitable  methods  of  bringing  them  to  reason  ;  and  in  this  he 
not  only  succeeded,  but  frequently  put  things  upon  a  better  foot- 
ing than  if  no  contention  had  taken  place. 

During  this  visit  to  Otaheite,  fruit  and  other  refreshments 
were  obtained  in  great  plenty.  The  relief  arising  from  them 
was  the  more  agreeable  and  salutary,  as  the  bread  of  the  ship 
was  in  a  bad  condition.  Though  the  biscuit  had  been  aired  and 
picked  at  New  Zealand,  it  was  now  in  such  a  state  of  decay, 
that  it  was  necessary  for  it  to  undergo  another  airing  and  clean- 
ing, in  which  much  of  it  was  found  wholly  rotten,  and  un^t  to 
be  eaten.  This  decay  was  judged  to  be  owing  to  the  ice  our 
navigators  had  frequently  taken  in  when  to  the  southward, 
which  made  the  hold  of  the  vessel  cold  and  damp,  and  to  the 
great  heat  that  succeeded  when  they  came  to  the  north.  What- 
ever was  the  cause,  the  loss  was  so  considerable,  that  the  men 
were  put  to  a  scanty  allowance  in  this  article,  with  the  ad- 
ditional mortification  of  the  bread  being   bad   that    could  be 

used. 

Two  goats  that  had  been  given  by  Captain  Furneaux  to  Otoo, 

in  the  former  part  of  the  voyage,  seemed  to  promise  fair  for 

answering  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  left  upon  the  island. 

The  ewes,  soon  after,  had  two  female  kids,  which  were  now  so 

far  grown  as  to  be  almost  ready  to  propagate.     At  the  same 

time  the  old  ewe  was  again  with  kid.     The  people  were  very 

fond  of  them,  and  they  were  in  excellent  condition.     From  these 

circumstances  Captain  Cook  entertained  a  hope,  that  in  the  course 

of  years,  they  would  multiply  so  much  as  to  be  extended  over 

all  the  isles  of  the  Southern  Ocean.     The  like  success  did  not 

attend  the  sheep  which  had  been  left  in  the  country.     Tlsese 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


221 


epoedily  died,  one  excepted,  which  was  said  to  be  yet  alive.  Our 
navigators  also  furnished  the  natives  with  cats,  having  given  away 
no  less  than  twenty  at  Otaheite,  besides  some  which  hud  been 
made  presents  of  at  Ulietea  and  Huaheine. 

With  regard  to  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Otaheite,  our 
commander  collected,  from  comparing  several  facts  together, 
that,  including  women  and  children,  there  could  not  be  less,  in 
the  whole  island,  than  two  hundred  and  four  thousand.  This 
cumber,  at  first  sight,  exceeded  his  belief.  But  when  he  came  to 
reflect  on  the  vast  swarms  of  people  that  appeared  wherever 
be  went,  he  was  convinced  that  the  estimate  was  agreeable  to 
truth. 

Such  was  the  friendly  treatment  which  our  voyagers  met  with 
at  Otaheite,  that  one  of  the  gunner's  mates  was  induced  to  form 
a  plan  for  remaining  in  the  country.  As  he  knew  that  he  could 
not  execute  his  scheme  with  success  while  the  Resolution  contin- 
ued in  Matavia  Bay,  he  took  the  opportunity,  when  she  was 
ready  to  quit  it,  and  the  sails  were  set  for  that  purpose,  to  slip 
overboard.  Being  a  good  swimmer,  he  had  no  doubt  of  getting 
safe  to  a  canoe,  which  was  at  some  distance  ready  to  receive  him, 
for  his  design  was  concerted  with  the  natives,  and  had  even  been 
encouraged  by  Otoo.  However,  he  was  discovered  before  he 
had  gotten  clear  of  the  ship,  and  a  boat  being  presently  hoisted 
out,  he  was  taken  up  and  brought  back  to  the  vessel.  When 
our  commander  reflected  on  the  man's  situation,  he  did  not  think 
him  very  culpable,  or  his  desire  of  staying  in  the  island  so  extra- 
ordinary, as  might  at  first  view  be  imagined.  He  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  and  had  sailed  in  the  Dutch  service.  Captain  Cook, 
on  his  return  from  his  former  voyage,  had  picked  him  up  at 
Batavia,  and  had  kept  him  in  his  employment  ever  since.  It  did 
not  appear  that  he  had  either  friends  or  connections  which  could 
bind  him  to  any  particular  part  of  the  world.  All  nations  being 
alike  to  him,  where  could  he  be  more  happy  than  at  Otaheite  ? 
Here,  in  one  of  the  finest  climates  of  the  globe,  he  could  enjoy  not 


•  ^  J 


.Mr 


'r 


M 


If:  wm 


222 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


I 


W   If. 


only  the  necessaries,  but  the  hixuries  of  life,  in  ease  and  plent  j 
The  captain  seems  to  thinlc,  that  if  the  man  had  applied  to  him 
in  time  he  might  have  given  his  consent  to  his  remaining  in  the 
country. 

On  the  15th  of  May  Captain  Cook  anchored  in  O'Wharro 
Harbour,  in  the  Island  of  Iluahcine.  lie  was  immediately  vis- 
ited by  his  friend  Oree,  and  the  same  agreeable  intercourse 
subsisted  between  the  captain  and  this  good  old  chief,  which  had 
formerly  taken  place.  Red  feathers  were  not  here  in  such  esti- 
mation as  they  had  been  at  Otahoite  ;  the  natives  of  Huaheine 
having  the  good  sense  to  give  a  preference  to  the  more  useful  arti- 
cles of  nails  and  axes.  During  the  stay  of  our  voyagers  in  the 
island,  some  alarms  were  occasioned  by  the  thievish  disposition 
of  several  of  the  inhabitants,  but  matters  subsided  without  any 
material  consequences.  A  solemn  march,  which  our  commander 
made  through  part  of  the  country,  at  the  head  of  forty-eight 
men,  tended  to  impress  the  Indians  with  a  sense  of  his  power 
and  authority.  In  fact,  their  attempts  at  stealing  had  been  too 
much  invited  by  u\e  indiscretion  of  some  of  the  English,  who 
unguardedly  separated  themselves  in  the  woods,  for  the  purpose 
of  killing  birds,  and  who  managed  their  muskets  so  unskillfully 
as  to  render  them  less  formidable  in  the  eyes  of  the  natives. 

I  cannot  persuade  myself  to  omit  a  dramatic  entertainment,  at 
which  several  of  the  gentlemen  belonging  to  the  Resolution 
attended  one  evening.  The  piece  represented  a  girl  as  running 
away  with  our  navigators  from  Otaheite,  and  the  story  wus  partly 
founded  in  truth  ;  for  a  young  woman  had  taken  a  passage  in 
the  ship,  down  to  Ulietea.  She  happened  to  be  present  at  the 
representation  of  her  own  adventures,  which  had  such  an  effect 
upon  her,  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  she  could  be  pre- 
vailed upon  by  the  English  gentlemen  to  see  the  play  out,  or  to 
refrain  from  tears  while  it  was  acting.  The  piece  concluded  with 
the  reception  she  was  supposed  to  meet  with  from  her  friends 
at  ncr  return,  and  it  was  a  reception  that  was  by  no  means 


8EC0ND   VOYAGE. 


223 


favnnroble.  As  these  people,  when  they  see  occasion,  can  add 
little  extempore  pieces  to  their  entertainments,  it  is  reasonfthle 
to  imagine  that  the  representation  now  described  was  intended 
as  a  satire  against  the  girl,  and  to  discourage  otiiers  from  follow- 
iug  her  steps.  Such  is  the  sense  which  they  entertain  of  the 
propriety  of  female  docorura. 

During  Captain  Cook's  stay  at  Iluahcine,  bread-fruit,  cocoa- 
nuts,  and  other  vegetable  productions,  were  procured  in  abuih 
dance,  but  not  a  sufficiency  of  hogs  to  supply  the  daily  expense 
of  the  ship.  This  was  partly  owing  to  a  want  of  proper  articles 
for  traffic.  The  captain  was  obliged,  therefore,  to  set  the  smiths 
at  work,  to  make  different  sorts  of  nails,  iron  tools,  and  instru- 
ments, in  order  to  enable  him  to  obtain  refreshments  at  the  islands 
he  was  yet  to  visit,  and  to  support  his  credit  and  influence  among 
the  natives. 

When  our  commander  was  ready  to  sail  from  Huabeine,  Oree 
was  the  last  man  that  went  out  of  the  vessel.  At  parting,  Cap- 
tain Cook  told  him  that  they  should  meet  each  other  no  more, 
at  which  he  wept,  and  said,  "  Let  your  sons  come,  we  will  treat 
them  well." 

At  Ulietea,  to  which  the  captain  next  directed  his  course,  the 
events  that  occurred  were  nearly  similar  to  these  which  had 
already  been  related.  He  had  always  been  received  by  the  peo- 
ple of  this  island  in  the  most  hospitable  manner,  and  they  were 
justly  entitled  to  everything  which  it  was  in  his  power  to  grant. 
They  expressed  the  deepest  concern  at  his  departure,  and  were 
continually  importuning  him  to  return.  Oreo,  the  chief,  and  his 
wife  and  daughter,  but  especially  the  two  latter,  scarcely  ever 
ceased  weeping.  Their  grief  was  so  excessive,  that  it  might  per- 
haps be  doubted  whether  it  was  entirely  sincere  and  unaffected  ; 
but  our  commander  was  of  opinion  that  it  was  real.  At  length, 
when  he  was  ready  ^o  sail,  they  took  a  most  affectionate  leave. 
Oreo's  last  request  to  Captain  Cook  was,  that  he  would  retnru  ; 
and  when  be  could  not  obtain  a  promise  to  that  effect,  he  askevi 


ft  rff 


I'n-fc 


m 


224 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


i 


the  name  of  his  burying  place.  To  this  strange  qucRtion  the  tap- 
tain  answered,  without  hesitation,  tliat  it  was  Stepney,  that 
being  the  parish  in  which  he  lived  when  in  London.  Mr 
Forster,  to  whom  the  same  question  was  proposed,  replied,  with 
greater  wisdom  and  recollection,  that  no  man,  who  used  the  eea, 
could  say  where  he  should  bo  buried.  , 

As  our  commander  could  not  promise,  or  even  then  suppose, 
that  more  English  ships  would  be  sent  to  the  southern  isles, 
Oedidee,  who  for  so  many  months  had  been  the  faithful  compan- 
ion of  our  navigators,  chose  to  remain  in  his  native  country. 
But  he  left  them  with  a  regret  fully  demonstrative  of  his  esteem 
and  affection,  nor  could  anything  have  torn  him  from  them,  but 
the  fear  of  never  returning.  When  Oreo  pressed  so  ardently  Cap- 
tain Cook's  return,  he  sometimes  gave  such  answers  as  left  room 
for  hope.  At  these  answers  Ocdidce  would  eagerly  catch,  take 
him  on  one  side,  and  ask  him  over  again.  The  captain  declares 
that  he  had  not  words  to  describe  the  anguish  which  appeared 
in  this  young  man's  breast  when  he  went  away.  He  looked  up 
at  the  ship,  burst  into  tears,  and  then  sunk  down  into  the  canoe, 
Oedidee  was  a  youth  of  good  parts,  and  of  a  docile,  gentle,  and 
humane  disposition  ;  but  as  he  was  almost  wholly  ignorant  of 
the  religion,  government,  manners,  customs,  and  trar'itions  of  his 
countrymen,  and  neighbouring  islands,  no  materiel  knowledge 
could  have  been  collected  from  him,  had  our  commander  brought 
him  away.  He  would,  however,  in  every  respect,  have  been  a 
better  specimen  of  the  nation  than  Omai. 

When  Captain  Cook  first  came  to  these  islands,  he  had  some 
thoughts  of  visiting  Tupia's  famous  Bolabola.  But  having 
obtained  a  plentiful  pupply  of  refreshments,  and  the  route  he  had 
in  view  allowing  him  no  time  to  spare,  he  laid  this  design  aside, 
and  directed  his  course  to  the  west.  Thus  did  he  take  his  leave, 
as  he  then  thought,  forever,  of  these  happy  isles,  on  which 
benevolent  nature  has  spread  her  luxuriant  sweets  with  a  lavish 
baud,  and  la  which  the  natives,  copying  the  bounty  of  Provi 


8F.COND    VOVAOE. 


225 


donee,  are  equally  liberal,  being  ready  to  contribnte  plentifully 
and  cheerfully  to  the  wants  of  navigators.* 

On  the  6th  of  June,  the  day  after  our  voyagers  left  Ulietea, 
they  saw  land,  which  they  found  to  be  a  low  reef  island,  about 
four  leagues  in  compass,  and  of  a  circular  form.  This  was  IIowo 
Island,  which  had  been  discovered  by  Captain  Wallis.  Nothing 
remarkable  occurred  from  this  day  to  the  16th,  when  land  was 
again  seen.  It  was  another  reef  island  ;  and  being  a  new  dis- 
covery.  Captain  Cook  gave  it  the  name  of  Palmerston  Island,  iu 
honour  of  Lord  Palmerston.  On  the  20th,  fresh  land  appeared, 
which  was  perceived  to  be  inhabited.  This  induced  our  com- 
mander to  go  on  shore  with  a  party  of  gentlemen  ;  but  the 
Datives  were  found  to  be  fierce  and  untractable.  All  endeavours 
to  bring  them  to  a  parley  were  to  no  purpose  ;  for  they  came  on 
with  the  ferocity  of  wild  boars,  and  instantly  threw  their  darts. 
Two  or  three  muskets  discharged  in  the  air  did  not  prevent  one 
of  them  from  advancing  still  further,  and  throwing  another  dart, 
or  rather  a  spear,  which  passed  close  over  Captain  Cook's 
shoulder.  The  courage  of  this  man  had  nearly  cost  him  his  life. 
When  he  threw  his  spear,  he  was  not  five  paces  from  the  cap- 
tain, who  had  resolved  to  shoot  him  for  his  own  preservation. 
It  happened,  however,  that  his  musket  missed  fire  :  a  circum- 
stance on  which  he  afterward  reflected  with  pleasure.  When 
he  joined  his  party,  and  tried  his  musket  in  the  air,  it  went  off 
perfectly  well.  This  island,  from  the  disposition  and  behaviour 
of  the  natives,  with  whom  no  intercourse  could  be  established, 
and  from  whom  no  benefit  could  be  received,  was  called  by  our 
commander  Savage  Island.  It  is  about  eleven  leagues  in  cir- 
uit ;  is  of  a  round  form  and  good  height ;  and  has  deep  waters 
close  to  its  shores.  Among  its  other  disadvantages,  it  is  not 
furnished  with  a  harbour. 


•  From  Mr.  Wales's  observations  It  appeared  that,  during  five  months,  In  which  theii 
•ratch  had  passed  through  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  it  went  better  in  the  conl  thni 
n  the  hot  climates. 

10* 


'*•' 


^■rm 


i 


■     li 


M 


*226 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


In  pursuing  his  course  to  the  west-southwest,  Captain  Cook 
passed  by  a  number  of  small  islands,  and,  on  the  26th,  anchored 
on  the  north  side  of  Anamocka,  or  Rotterdam.  A  traffic  imme- 
diately commenced  with  the  natives,  who  bronghtw  hat  provisions 
they  had,  being  chiefly  yams  and  shaddocks,  which  they  ex- 
changed for  nails,  beads,  and  other  small  articles.  Here,  as  in 
many  former  cases,  the  captain  was  put  to  some  trouble,  on 
account  of  the  thievish  disposition  of  the  inhabitants.  As  they 
had  gotten  possession  of  an  adze  and  two  muskets,  he  found  it 
necessary  to  exert  himself  with  peculiar  vigour,  in  order  to 
oblige  them  to  make  restitution.  For  this  purpose,  he  com- 
manded all  the  marines  to  be  armed,  and  sent  on  shore;  and  the 
result  of  this  measure  was,  that  the  things  which  had  been  stolen 
were  restored.  In  the  contest,  Captain  Cook  was  under  the 
necessity  of  firing  some  small  shot  at  a  native,  who  had  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  resistance.  His  countrymen  afterwards 
reported  that  he  was  dead  ;  but  he  was  only  wounded,  and  that 
not  in  a  dangerous  manner.  Though  his  sufferings  were  the 
effects  of  his  own  misbehaviour,  the  captain  endeavoured  to 
soften  them,  by  making  him  a  present,  and  directing  his  wounds 
to  be  dressed  by  the  surgeon  of  the  ship. 

The  first  time  that  our  commander  landed  at  Anamocka,  an 
old  lady  presented  him  with  a  girl,  and  gave  him  to  understand, 
that  she  was  at  his  service.  Miss,  who  had  previously  been 
instructed,  wanted  a  spike-nail,  or  a  shirt,  neither  of  which  he 
had  to  give  her  :  and  he  flattered  himself,  that,  by  making  the 
two  women  sensible  of  his  poverty,  he  should  easily  get  clear  of 
Jheir  importunities.  In  this,  however,  he  was  mistaken.  The 
favours  of  the  young  lady  were  offered  upon  credit ;  and  on  his 
declining  the  proposal,  the  old  woman  began  to  argue  with  him 
and  then  to  abuse  him.  As  far  as  he  could  collect  from  her 
countenance  and  her  actions,  the  design  of  her  speech  was  both 
to  ridicule  and  reproach  him,  for  refusing  to  entertain  so  fine  a 
/oong  woman.     Indeed,  the  girl  was  by  no  means  destitute  of 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


227 


beauty  ;  but  Captain  Cook  found  it  more  easy  to  withstand  her 
allurements  than  the  abuse  of  the  ancient  matron,  aiiJ  therefore 
hastened  into  his  boat. 

While  the  captain  was  on  shore  at  Anamocka,  he  got  the 
names  of  twenty  islands,  which  lie  between  the  northwest  and 
northeast.  Some  of  them  were  in  sight ;  and  two  of  them, 
which  are  most  to  the  west,  are  remarkable  on  ac(iount  of  their 
great  height.  These  are  Amattafoa  and  Oghao.  From  a 
continual  column  of  smoke  which  was  seen  daily  ascending  from 
the  middle  of  Amattafoa,  it  was  judged  that  there  was  a  volcano 
in  that  island. 

Anamocka  was  first  discovered  by  Tasman,  and  by  him  was 
named  Rotterdam.  It  is  of  a  triangular  form,  and  each  side  ex- 
tends about  three  and  a  half  or  four  miles.  From  the  north- 
west to  the  south  of  the  island,  round  by  the  east  and  north,  it 
is  encompassed  by  a  number  of  small  isles,  sand-banks,  and 
breakers.  An  end  could  not  be  seen  to  their  extent  to  the 
north,  and  they  may  possibly  reach  as  far  to  the  south  as  Ams- 
terdam, or  Tongataboo,  Together  with  Middleburg,  or  Eaoowe, 
and  Pilsart,  these  form  a  group,  containing  about  three  degrees 
of  latitude,  and  two  of  longitude.  To  this  group  Captain  Cook 
had  given  the  name  of  the  Friendly  Isles,  or  Archipelago,  from 
the  firm  alliance  and  friendship  which  seemed  to  subsist  among 
their  inhabitants,  and  from  their  courteous  behaviour  to  stran- 
gers. The  same  group  may  perhaps  be  extended  much  farther, 
even  down  to  Boscawen  and  Keppel's  Isles,  which  were  discov- 
ered by  Captain  Wallis,  and  lie  nearly  in  the  same  meridian. 

Whilst  our  commander  was  at  Anamocka,  he  was  particularly 
assiduous  to  prevent  the  introduction  of  a  certai:  disorder.  As 
some  of  his  people  brought  with  them  the  remains  of  this  disease 
from  the  Society  Isles,  he  prohibited  them  from  having  any 
female  intercourse  ;  and  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  his  endea- 
vours were  successful. 

The  productions  of  Rotterdam,  and  the  persons,  manners,  and 


■I 


Si 


.!» 


m 


I.  k 


i 


'(  ! 


, 


I 


228 


CAPTAIN  COOKS 


cistoras  of  its  inhabitants,  are  similar  to  those  of  Amsterdam.  It 
is  not,  however,  equally  plentiful  in  its  fruits,  nor  is  every  part 
of  it  in  so  high  a  state  of  cultivation.  Neither  hath  it  risen  to 
the  same  degree  of  wealth,  with  regard  to  cloth,  matting,  orna- 
ments, and  other  articles,  which  constitute  the  chief  riches  of  the 
islanders  of  the  Southern  Ocean. 

Pureuing  their  course  to  the  west,  our  navigators  discovered 
land  oc  the  1st  of  July  ;  and,  rpon  a  nearer  aporoach,  found  it 
to  b*)  a  small  island,  to  which,  on  account  of  the  number  of  tur- 
tle thjit  were  seen  upon  the  coast,  Captain  Cook  gave  the  name 
of  Turtle  Isle.  On  the  16th,  high  land  was  seen  bearing  south- 
west, which  no  one  doubted  to  be  the  Austral  is  del  Espiritu 
Sanr.o  of  Quiros,  and  which  is  called  by  M.  de  Bougainville  the 
Great  Cyclades.  After  exploring  the  coast  for  some  days,  the 
captain  came  to  anchor,  in  a  harbour  near  the  island  of  Malli- 
collo.  One  of  his  first  objects  was  to  commence  a  friendly  inter- 
course with  the  natives  ;  but,  while  he  was  thus  employed,  an 
accident  occurred,  which  threw  all  into  confusion,  though  in  the 
end  it  was  rather  advantageous  than  hurtful  to  the  English.  A 
fellow  in  a  canoe  having  been  refused  admittance  into  one  of  our 
boats,  bent  his  bow  to  shoot  a  poisoned  arrow  at  the  boat- 
keeper.  Some  of  his  countrymen  having  prevented  his  doing  it 
at  that  instant,  time  was  given  to  acquaint  our  commander  with 
the  transaction,  who  immediately  ran  upon  deck.  At  this  minute 
the  Indian  had  directed  his  arrow  at  the  boat-keeper  ;  but 
being  called  to  by  Captain  Cook,  he  pointed  it  at  him.  Hap- 
pilv  the  caption  had  a  musket  in  his  hand  loaded  with  small 
shot,  and  gave  him  the  contents.  By  this,  however,  he  was  only 
staggered  for  a  moment ;  for  he  still  held  his  bow  in  the  ittitude 
of  shooting.  A  second  discharge  of  the  same  nature  made  him 
drop  it,  and  obliged  him,  together  with  the  other  natives  who  were 
in  the  canoe,  to  paddle  off  with  all  possible  celerity.  At  this 
time,  some  of  the  inhabitants  began  to  shoot  arrows  from 
another  quarter.    A  musket  discharged  in  the  air  had  no  effect 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


229 


npoa  tbem  ;  bat  no  soonbr  was  a  four-pound  ball  shot  oyer  their 
heads  than  they  fled  in  the  utmost  confusion. 

A  few  hours  after  these  transactions,  the  English  put  off  in 
two  boats,  and  landed  in  the  face  of  four  or  five  hundred  people, 
who  were  assembled  on  the  shore  ;  and  who,  though  they  were 
all  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  clubs  and  spears,  made  not  the 
least  opposition.  On  the  contrary,  when  they  saw  Captain  Cook 
advance  with  nothing  but  a  green  branch  in  his  hand,  one  of 
them,  who  appeared  to  be  a  chief,  giving  his  bows  and  arrows  to 
another,  met  the  captain  in  the  water,  bearing  also  a  green 
branch.  These  being  mutually  exchanged  in  token  of  friendship, 
the  chief  led  our  commander  to  the  crowd,  to  whom  he  imme- 
diately distributed  presents.  The  marines,  in  the  meantime,  were 
drawn  up  on  the  beach.  Captain  Cook  then  acquainted  the 
Indians,  by  signs,  that  he  wanted  wood  ;  and  in  the  same  man- 
ner permission  was  granted  him  to  cut  down  the  trees. 

Much  traffic  could  not  be  carried  on  with  these  people,  be- 
cause they  set  no  value  on  nails,  or  iron  tools,  or,  indeed,  on  any 
articles  which  our  navigators  could  furnish.  In  such  exchanges 
as  they  did  make,  and  which  were  principally  of  arrows  for 
pieces  of  cloth,  they  distinguished  themselves  by  their  honesty. 
When  the  ship  had  begun  to  sail  from  the  island,  and  they  might 
easily,  in  consequence  of  their  canoes  dropping  astern,  have 
avoided  delivering  the  things  they  had  been  paid  for,  they  used 
their  utmost  efforts  to  get  up  with  her,  that  they  might  dis- 
charge their  obligations.  One  man,  in  particular,  followed  the 
Resolution  a  considerable  time,  and  did  not  roach  her  till  the  ob- 
ject which  brought  him  was  forgotten.  As  soon  as  he  came 
alongside  the  vessel,  he  held  up  the  thing  which  had  been  pur- 
chased ;  and,  though  several  of  the  crew  offered  to  buy  it,  he 
insisted  upon  delivering  to  the  pei'son  to  whom  it  had  been  sold 
That  person,  not  knowing  him  again,  would  have  given  some- 
thing in  return :  but  this  he  refused,  and  showed  him  what  ha 
had  before  received.    Th«re  was  only  a  single  ir^tance  in  wiucli 


iii 


''\r,: 


!>i;'\'M 


230 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


the  natives  took,  or  even  attempted  to  take,  anything  from  oui 
voyagers,  by  any  means  whatever  ;  and  in  that  case  restitution 
"Was  immediately  made,  without  trouble  and  without  alterca- 
tion. 

The  inhabitants  of  Mallicollo,  in  general,  are  the  most  ugly 
and  ill-proportioned  people  that  Captain  Cook  had  ever  seen,  and 
are  in  every  respect  different  from  all  the  nations  that  had  been 
met  with  in  the  Southern  Ocean.  They  are  a  very  dark-coloured, 
and  rather  a  diminutive  race,  with  long  heads,  flat  faces,  and 
countenances  which  have  some  resemblance  to  that  of  the  mon- 
key. Their  hair,  which  is  mostly  black  or  brown,  is  short  and 
curly  ;  but  not  altogether  so  soft  and  woolly  as  that  of  a  negro. 
The  difference  of  this  people  from  any  whom  our  commander  had 
yet  visited,  appeared  not  only  in  their  persons  but  their  lan- 
guage. Of  about  eighty  words,  which  were  collected  by  Mr. 
Forster,  scarcely  one  was  found  to  bear  any  affinity  to  the  lan- 
guage spoken  in  any  country  or  island  hitherto  described.  It 
was  observed  by  Captain  Cook,  that  the  natives  could  prouounec 
most  of  the  English  words  with  great  ease.  They  had  not  so 
much  as  a  name  for  a  dog,  and  knew  nothing  of  that  animal  ;  for 
which  reason  the  captain  left  them  a  dog  and  bitch  ;  and  as 
they  were  very  fond  of  them,  it  was  highly  probable  that  the 
breed  would  be  fostered  and  increased. 

To  the  harbour,  in  which  our  commander  anchored,  while  he 
lay  at  Mallicollo,  he  gave  the  name  of  Fort  Sandwich.  It  has 
many  advantages,  with  regard  to  depth  of  water,  shelter  from 
winds,  and  lying  so  near  the  shore  as  to  be  a  cover  to  those  of 
the  ship's  company  who  may  be  carrying  on  any  necessary  oper- 
ations on  land. 

Soon  after  our  navigators  had  gotten  to  sea,  which  was  on  the 
23d  of  July,  they  discovered  three  or  four  small  islands,  that  be- 
fore had  appeared  to  be  connected.  At  this  time  the  Resolution 
was  not  far  from  the  Isle  of  A  mbrym,  the  Isle  of  Paoom,  and  the 
Isle  of  Apee.     On  the  next  morning,  several  more  islands  were 


SECOND   VOYAGE, 


231 


discovered,  lying  oflf  the  southeast  point  of  Apce,  and  constitut- 
ing a  group,  which  Captain  Cook  called  Shepherd's  Isles,  in 
honour  of  his  learned  and  valuable  friend.  Dr.  Shepherd,  Plumian 
professor  of  Astronomy  at  Cambridge.  The  ship  was  this  day 
in  some  danger.  It  suddenly  fell  calm,  and  our  voyagers  were 
left  to  the  mercy  of  the  current,  close  by  the  isles,  where  no 
sounding  could  be  found  with  a  line  of  a  hundred  and  '•ighty  fa- 
thoms. The  lands  or  islands,  which  lay  around  the  vessel  in 
every  direction,  were  so  numerous,  that  they  could  not  be  count- 
ed. At  this  crisis  a  breeze  sprung  up,  which  happily  relieved  the 
captain  and  his  company  from  the  anxiety  the  calm  had  occa- 
sioned. 

Amidst  the  number  of  islands,  that  were  continually  seen  by 
our  navigators,  there  was  only  one  on  which  no  inhabitants  were 
discerned.  This  consisted  chiefly  of  a  remarkable  peaked  rock, 
which  wa-s  only  accessible  to  birds,  and  which  obtained  the  name 
of  the  Monument. 

In  the  farther  course  of  the  ship  to  the  southward,  our  navi- 
gators drew  near  to  c  "tain  lands,  which  they  found  to  consist 
of  one  large  island,  ine  southern  and  western  extremities  of 
which  extended  beyond  their  sight.  Three  or  four  smaller  ones 
lay  oflf  its  north  side.  To  the  two  principal  of  these  Captain 
Cook  gave  the  name  of  Montagu  and  Hinchinbrook  ;  and  the 
large  island  he  named  Sandwich,  in  honour  of  his  noble  patron 
the  Earl  of  Sandwich.  This  island,  which  was  spotted  with 
woods  and  lawns,  agreeably  diversified  over  the  whole  surface, 
and  which  had  a  gentle  slope  from  the  hills  down  to  the  sea-coast, 
exhibited  a  most  beautiful  and  delightful  prospect.  The  exarain 
ation  of  it  was  not,  however,  so  much  an  object  with  our  com- 
mander, as  to  proceed  to  the  south,  in  order  to  find  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  Archipelago. 

Pursuing  his  discoveries,  Captain  Cook  came  in  sight  of  an 
island,  which  was  afterwards  known  to  be  called  by  the  natives 
Erromango.     After  coasting  it  for  three  days,  he  brought  his 


tj 


i;.r  1 


232 


CAITAIN   cook's 


vessel  to  anchor  in  a  bay  there,  on  the  3d  of  August.  The  nex 
day,  he  went  with  two  boats  to  examine  the  coast,  and  to  lool 
for  a  proper  landing-place,  that  he  might  obtain  a  supply  of 
wood  and  water.  At  this  time,  the  inhabitants  began  ta 
assemble  on  the  shore,  and  by  signs  to  invite  our  people  to  land. 
Their  behaviour  was  apparently  so  friendly,  that  the  captain  waa 
charmed  with  it ;  and  the  only  thing  which  could  give  him  the 
least  suspicion  was,  that  most  of  them  were  armed  with  clubs, 
spears,  darts,  and  bows  and  arrows.  He  did  not,  therefore, 
remit  his  vigilance  ;  but  kept  his  eye  continually  upon  the  chief, 
watching  his  looks,  as  well  as  his  actions.  It  soon  was  evident, 
that  the  intentions  of  the  Indians  were  totally  hostile.  They 
made  a  violent  attempt  to  seize  upon  one  of  the  boats  ;  and 
though,  on  our  commander's  pointing  a  musket  at  them,  they  in 
some  measure  desisted,  yet  they  returned  in  an  instant,  seemingly 
determined  to  carry  their  design  into  execution.  At  the  head 
of  the  party  was  the  chief :  while  others,  who  could  not  come  at 
the  boat,  stood  behind  with  darts,  stones,  and  bows  and  arrows  in 
hand,  ready  to  support  their  countrymen.  As  signs  and  threats 
had  no  effect,  the  safety  of  Captain  Cook  and  his  people  became 
the  only  object  of  consideration,  and  yet  he  was  unwilling  to  fire 
on  the  multitude.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to  make  the  chief 
alone  the  victim  of  his  own  treachery,  and  accordingly  aimed  his 
musket  at  him  ;  but  at  this  critical  moment  it  missed  fire.  This 
circumstance  encouraged  the  natives  to  despise  our  weapons,  and 
to  show  the  superiority  of  their  own,  by  throwing  stones  and 
darts,  and  by  shooting  arrows.  Hence  it  became  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  captain  to  give  orders  to  his  men  to  fire  upon 
the  assailants.  The  first  discharge  threw  them  into  confusion  ; 
but  a  second  was  scarcely  sufficient  to  drive  them  off  the  beach. 
In  consequence  of  this  skirmish,  four  of  the  Indians  lay,  to  all 
appearance,  dead  on  the  shore.  However,  two  of  them  were 
ftfterw  -.'ds  perceived  to  crawl  into  the  bashes  ;  and  it  was  happy 
for  these  people,  that  not  half  of  the  muskets  of  the  English 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


233 


liigUsh 


would  go  off,  siuce  otherwise  many  more  must  have  fallen.  The 
inhabitants  were,  at  length,  so  terrified,  as  to  make  no  farther 
appearance  ;  and  two  oars  which  had  been  lost  in  the  conflict, 
were  left  standhig  tip  against  the  bushes. 

It  was  observed  of  these  islanders,  that  they  seemed  of  a 
different  race  from  those  of  Mallicollo,  and  that  they  spoke  a* 
different  language.  They  are  of  a  middle  size,  with  a  good 
shape  and  tolerable  features.  Their  colour  is  very  dark  ;  and 
their  aspect  is  not  mended  by  a  custom  they  have  of  painting 
their  faces,  some  with  a  black,  and  others  with  a  red  pigment. 
As  to  their  hair,  it  is  curly  and  crisp,  and  somewhat  woolly. 
The  few  women  who  were  seen,  and  who  appeared  to  be  ugly, 
wore  a  kind  of  petticoat,  made  either  of  palm  leaves,  or  of  a 
plant  similar  in  its  nature  ;  but  the  men,  like  those  of  Mallicollo, 
were  almost  entirely  naked.  On  account  of  the  treacherous 
behaviour  of  the  inhabitants  of  Erromango,  Captain  Cook  called 
a  promontory,  or  peninsula,  near  which  the  skirmish  happened. 
Traitor's  Head. 

From  this  place  the  captain  sailed  for  an  island  which  had 
been  discovered  before,  at  a  distance,  and  at  which,  on  account 
of  his  wanting  a  large  quantity  of  wood  and  water,  he  was 
resolved  to  make  some  stay.  At  first  the  natives  were  disposed 
to  be  very  hostile  ;  but  our  commander,  with  equal  wisdom  and 
humanity,  contrived  to  terrify  them,  without  danger  to  their 
lives.  This  was  principally  effected  by  firing  a  few  great  guns, 
at  which  they  were  so  much  alarmed,  as  afterwards  to  be  brought 
to  tolerable  order.  Among  these  islanders,  many  were  inclined 
to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  our  navigators,  and  especially  the 
old  people  ;  whilst  most  of  the  younger  were  daring  and  inso- 
lent, and  obliged  the  English  to  keep  to  their  arms.  It  was 
natural  enough  that  age  should  be  pnu"  .^nt  and  cautious,  and 
youth  bold  and  impetuous  ;  and  yet  this  distinction,  with  regard 
to  the  behaviour  of  the  various  nations  which  had  been  visited 
by  Captain  Cook,  had  not  occurred  before. 


i 


3 

mm  I 


H. 


lii'   •' 


234 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


The  island,  where  the  captain  now  stayevl,  was  found,  upon 
inquiry,  to  be  called,  by  the  inhabitants,  Tanna  ;  and  three 
others  in  its  neighbourhood,  and  which  could  be  seen  from  it, 
were  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Immer,  Erronan  or  Footoona, 
and  Annatom. 

From  such  information  of  the  natives,  as  oar  commander  could 
Bee  no  reason  to  doubt,  it  appeared  that  circumcision  was 
practised  among  them,  and  that  they  were  eaters  of  human  flesh. 
Concerning  the  latter  subject,  he  should  never  have  thought 
of  asking  them  a  single  question,  if  they  had  not  introduced  it 
themselves,  by  inquiring  whether  the  English  had  the  same  cus- 
tom. It  hath  been  argued,  that  necessity  alone  could  be  the 
origin  of  this  horrid  practice.  But  as  the  people  of  Tanna  are 
possessed  of  fine  pork  and  fowls,  together  with  an  abundance  of 
roots  and  fruits,  the  plea  of  necessity  cannot  be  urged  in  their 
behalf.  In  fact,  no  instance  was  seen  of  their  eating  human 
flesh  ;  and,  therefore,  there  might,  perhaps,  be  some  reason  to 
hesitate  in  pronouncing  them  to  be  cannibals. 

By  degrees  the  inhabitants  grew  so  courteous  and  civil,  as  to 
permit  the  English  gentlemen  to  ramble  about  the  skirts  of  the 
woods,  and  to  shoot  in  them,  without  offering  them  the  least 
molestation  or  showing  any  dislike.  One  day,  some  boys  of  the 
island  having  gotten  behind  thickets,  and  thrown  two  or  three 
stones  at  our  people,  who  were  cutting  wood,  they  were  fired  at 
by  the  petty  officers  on  duty.  Captain  Cook,  who  was  then  on 
shore,  was  alarmed  at  the  report  of  the  muskets  ;  and,  when  he 
was  informed  of  the  cause,  was  much  displeased,  that  so  wanton 
a  use  should  be  made  of  our  fire-arms.  Proper  measures  were 
taken  by  him  to  prevent  such  conduct  for  the  future. 

In  the  island  of  Tanna  was  a  volcano,  which  sometimes  made 
a  dreadful  noise,  and,  at  each  explosion,  which  happened  every 
three  or  four  minutes,  threw  up  fire  and  smoke  in  prodigious 
columns.  At  one  time,  great  stones  were  seen  high  in  the  air 
At  the  foot  of  the  hill  were  several  hot  springs  ;  and  on  the  side 


8E00ND   VOYAGE. 


235 


of  it  Mr.  Forster  found  some  places  whence  smoke  of  a  sulphur- 
oas  smell  issued,  through  cracks  or  fissures  of  the  earth.  A 
thermometer,  that  was  placed  in  a  little  hole  made  in  one  of 
them,  and  which  in  the  open  air  stood  only  at  eighty,  rose  to  a 
hundred  and  seventy.  In  another  instance,  the  mercury  rose  to  a 
hundred  and  ninety-one.  Our  commander,  being  desirous  of  get- 
ting a  near  and  good  view  of  the  volcano,  set  out  with  a  party 
for  that  purpose.  But  the  gentlemen  met  with  so  many  obstruc- 
tions from  the  inhabitants,  who  were  jealous  of  their  penetrating 
far  into  the  country,  that  they  thought  proper  to  return. 

It  ia  observable,  with  respect  to  the  volcano  of  Tanna,  that 
it  is  not  on  the  ridge  of  the  hill  to  which  it  belongs,  but  on  its 
side.  Nor  is  that  hill  the  highest  in  the  country,  for  there  are 
others  near  it  of  more  than  double  its  height.  It  was  in  moist 
and  wet  weather  that  the  volcano  was  most  violent. 

When  our  commander  was  ready  to  sail  from  Tanna,  an  event 
happened,  which  gave  him  much  concern.  Just  as  our  people 
were  getting  some  logs  into  the  boat,  four  or  five  of  the  natives 
stepped  forward  to  see  what  they  were  doing.  In  consequence 
of  the  Indians  not  being  allowed  to  come  within  certain  limits, 
the  sentinel  ordered  them  back,  upon  which  they  readily  com- 
plied. At  this  time.  Captain  Cook,  who  had  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
them,  observed  the  sentry  present  his  piece  to  the  men.  The 
captain  was  going  to  reprove  him  for  this  action,  when  to  his  in- 
expressible astonishment,  the  sentry  fired.  An  attack  so  cause- 
less and  extraordinary,  naturally  threw  the  natives  into  great 
confusion.  Most  of  them  fled,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  cur 
commander  could  prevail  upon  a  few  of  them  to  remain.  As 
they  ran  off,  he  perceived  one  of  them  to  fall  who  was  immedi- 
ately lifted  up  by  two  others,  who  took  him  into  the  water, 
washed  his  wound,  and  then  led  him  off.  The  wounded  person 
act  being  carried  far.  Captain  Cook  then  sent  for  the  surgeon  ot 
be  ship  and  accompanied  him  to  the  man,  whom  they  found  ex- 
iriug.     The  rascal  that  had  fired  pretended,  that  an  Indian  had 


•41 

m 


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m 


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■h  '■ 


fA.» 


'll% 


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i     : 

n 


^Ll' 


236 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


laid  an  arrow  across  his  bow,  and  was  going  to  shoot  at  h^Ki ; 
BO  that  he  apprehended  himself  to  be  in  danger.  This  however, 
was  no  more  than  what  the  islanders  had  always  done,  to  show 
that  they  were  armed  as  well  as  our  voyagers.  What  rendered 
the  present  incident  the  more  unfortunate  was,  that  it  was  not 
the  man  who  bent  the  bow,  but  one  who  stood  near  him,  that 
was  shot  by  the  sentry. 

The  harbour  where  the  captain  anchored,  during  his  stay  at 
Tauna,  was  called  by  him  Port  Resolution,  after  the  name  of 
the  ship,  she  being  the  first  vessel  by  which  it  was  ever  entered.  It 
was  no  more  than  a  little  creek,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in 
length  and  about  half  that  space  in  breadth.  No  place  can  exceed 
it  in  its  convenience  for  taking  in  wood  and  water,  which  are 
doth  close  to  the  shore.  The  inhabitant  of  the  island,  with 
whom  our  commander  had  the  most  frequent  and  friendly  con- 
nexions, was  named  Paowang. 

Very  little  trade  could  be  carried  on  with  the  people  of 
Tanna.  They  had  not  tha  least  knowledge  of  iron  ;  and  conse- 
quently, nails,  tools,  and  other  articles  made  of  that  metal,  and 
which  are  so  greedily  sought  for  in  the  more  eastern  isles,  were 
here  of  no  consideration.  Cloth  could  be  made  of  no  service  to 
persons  who  go  naked. 

Among  the  productions  of  the  island,  there  is  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  the  nutmeg-tree  might  be  mentioned.  This  is  collect- 
ed from  the  circumstance  of  Mr.  Forster's  having  shot  a  pigeon 
in  the  craw  of  which  a  )jfild  nutmeg  was  discovered.  However, 
though  he  took  some  pains  to  find  the  tree,  his  endeavours  were 
not  attended  with  success. 

It  was  at  first  thought  by  our  navigators,  that  the  inhabitants 
of  Tanna  were  a  race  between  the  natives  of  the  Friendly  Is- 
lands and  those  of  Mallicollo  ;  but  by  a  short  acquaintance  with 
them  they  were  convinced  that  they  had  but  little  or  no  aflfinity 
to  either,  excepting  in  the  hair.  Some  few  women  and  children 
were  seen,  whose  hail  resembled  that  of  the  English.    With  re- 


SECOND   VOTAGR. 


237 


gard,  however,  to  these  persons,  it  was  obvions  that  they  were 
of  another  nation  ;  and  it  was  understood  that  they  came  from 
Erronan.  Two  languages  were  found  to  be  spoken  in  Tanna. 
One  of  them,  which  appeared  to  have  been  introduced  from  Er- 
ronan, is  nearly,  if  not  exactly,  the  same  with  that  of  the 
Friendly  Islands.  The  other,  which  is  the  proper  language  of 
the  country,  and  which  is  judged  to  be  peculiar  to  Tanna,  Erro- 
mango,  and  Anaton,  is  dififerent  from  any  other  that  had  hitherto 
been  met  with  by  our  voyagers. 

The  people  of  Tanna,  are  of  the  middle  size,  and  for  the  most 
part  slender.  There  are  few  tall  or  stout  men  amongst  them.  In 
general,  they  have  good  features  and  agreeable  countenances. 
Like  all  the  tropical  race,  they  are  active  and  nimble  ;  and  seem 
to  excel  in  the  use  of  arms,  but  not  to  be  fond  of  labour.  With 
respect  to  the  management  of  their  weapons,  Mr.  Wales  hath 
made  an  observation  so  honourable  to  Homer,  that  were  I 
to  omit  it  I  should  not  be  forgiven  by  my  classical  readers.  "  I 
must  confess,"  says  Mr.  Wales,  **  I  have  ofteu  been  led  to  think 
ihe  feats  which  Homer  represents  his  heroes  as  performing 
with  their  spears,  a  little  too  much  of  the  marvellous  to  be  ad- 
mitted into  an  heroic  poem  ;  I  mean  when  confined  within  the 
strait  stays  of  Aristotle.  Nay,  even  so  great  au  advocate  for  him 
as  Mr.  Pope,  acknowledges  them  to  be  surprising.  But  since  I 
have  seen  what  these  people  can  do  with  their  wooden  spears, 
and  them  badly  pointed,  and  not  of  a  hard  nature,  I  have  not 
the  least  exception  to  any  one  passage  in  that  great  poet  on 
this  account.  But  if  I  see  fewer  exception?  I  can  find  infinitely 
more  beauties  in  him  ;  as  he  has,  I  think,  scarcely  an  action, 
circumstance  or  description  of  any  kind  whatever,  relating  to  a 
ppear,  which  I  have  not  seen  and  recognized  among  these  peo- 
ple ;  as,  their  whirling  motion,  and  whistling  noise,  as  they  fly  ; 
their  quivering  motion,  as  they  stick  in  the  ground  when  they 
fall ;  their  meditating  their  aim,  when  they  are  going  to  throw  • 
and  their  shaking  them  in  thei2  hand,  as  they  go  along.'' 


i 


If 

'i 
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^  II 


I-, 


,11,  f 


238 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


On  the  20th  of  August,  Captain  Cook  sailed  from  Tanna,  and 
employed  all  the  remainder  of  the  month  in  a  further  examina- 
tion of  the  islands  around  him.  He  had  now  finished  his  survey 
of  the  whole  Archipelago,  and  had  gained  a  knowledge  of  it, 
infinitely  superior  to  what  had  ever  been  attained  befoN).  Tiie 
northern  islands  of  this  Archipelago  were  first  discovered  in  1606, 
by  that  eminent  navigator  Quiros,  who  considered  them  as  part 
of  the  southern  continent,  which  at  that  time,  and  till  very  lately, 
was  supposed  to  exist.  M.  de  Bougainville  was  the  next  person 
by  whom  they  were  visited,  in  1768.  This  gentleman,  how- 
ever, besides  landing  on  the  Isle  of  Lepers,  only  made  the  dis- 
covery, that  the  country  was  not  connected,  but  composed  of 
islands  which  he  called  the  Great  Cyclades.  Captain  Cook,  be- 
sides ascertaining  the  situation  and  extent  of  these  islands,  added 
to  them  several  new  ones  which  had  hitherto  been  unknown, 
and  explored  the  whole.  He  thought,  therefore,  that  he  had  ob- 
tained a  right  to  name  them  ;  and  accordingly  he  bestowed 
upon  them  the  appellation  of  the  New  Hebrides,  His  title  to 
this  honour  will  not  be  disputed  in  any  part  of  Europe,  and  certain- 
ly not  by  so  enlightened  and  liberal  a  people  as  the  French  nation. 

The  season  of  the  year  now  rendered  it  necessary  for  our 
commander  to  return  to  the  south,  while  he  had  yet  some  time 
to  explore  any  land  he  might  meet  with  between  the  New  He- 
brides and  New  Zealand  ;  at  which  last  place  he  intended  to 
touch,  that  he  might  refresh  his  people,  and  renew  his  stock  of 
wood  and  water  for  another  southern  course.  With  this  view, 
he  sailed  on  the  first  of  September,  and  on  the  4th  land  was  dis- 
covered ;  in  a  harbour  belonging  to  which  the  Resolution  came 
to  an  anchor  the  next  day.  The  design  of  Captain  Cook  was 
not  only  to  visit  the  country,  but  to  have  an  opportunity  of  ob- 
serving an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which  was  soon  to  happen.  An 
intercourse  immediately  commenced  with  the  inhabitants,  who, 
during  the  whole  of  the  captain's  stay,  behaved  in  a  very  civil  and 
friendly  manner.  In  return,  he  was  solicitous  to  render  them  every 


SECOND   VOYAOB. 


230 


Boryice  in  his  power.  To  Tcaboomn,  the  chief,  ho  sent,  amonpf 
otlier  articles,  a  dog  and  a  bitch,  both  young,  but  neurly  full 
grown.  It  was  soino  time  before  Teabooraa  could  believe  that 
ihe  two  animals  were  Intended  for  him  ;  but  when  he  was  con- 
vinced of  it,  he  was  lost  in  au  excess  of  joy.  Another  and  still 
more  valuable  present,  was  that  of  a  yt)ung  boar  and  sow  ; 
which,  on  account  of  the  absence  of  tlie  chief  when  they  were 
brought  to  land,  were  received  with  great  hesitation  and  cere- 
mony. 

The  last  time  that  our  commander  went  on  shore  at  this  place, 
he  ordered  an  inscription  to  be  cut  out  on  a  large  tree,  setting 
forth  the  name  of  the  ship,  the  date  of  the  year,  and  other  cir- 
cumstances, which  testified  that  the  English  were  the  first  dis- 
coverers of  the  country.  This  ho  had  before  done,  wherever 
such  a  ceremony  seemed  ncccssaw.  How  the  island  was  called 
by  the  natives,  our  voyagers  could  never  learn  ;  and,  therefore 
Captain  Cook  gave  it  the  name  of  New  Caledonia.  The  inhabi- 
tants are  strong,  robust,  active,  and  well  made.  With  regard  to 
the  origin  of  the  nation,  the  captain  judged  them  to  be  a  race 
between  the  people  of  Tanna  and  the  Friendly  Isles  ;  or  between 
those  of  Tanna  and  the  New  Zealanders  ;  or  all  three.  Their 
language  is  in  some  respects  a  mixture  of  them  all.  In  their 
disposition  they  are  courteous  and  obliging  ;  and  they  are  not  in 
the  least  addicted  to  pilfering,  which  is  more  than  can  be  assert- 
ed concerning  any  other  nation  in  this  sea. 

The  women  of  New  Caledonia,  and  those  likewise  of  Tanna, 
were  found  to  be  much  chaster  than  the  females  of  the  more 
eastern  islands.  Our  commander  never  heard  that  the  least 
favor  was  obtained  from  them  by  any  one  of  his  company. 
Sometimes,  indeed,  the  women  would  exercise  a  little  coquetry, 
but  they  went  no  farther. 

The  botanists  of  the  ship  did  not  here  complain  for  want  of 
employment.  They  were  diligent  in  their  researches,  and  their 
labours  were  amply  rewarded.     Every  day  brought  some  new 


m. 


U^Hl' 


■,i'  ■  f ,    ,1 


240 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


m 


,![■ 


accession  to  botanical  knowledge,  or  that  of  other  branches  of 
natural  history. 

Everything  being  ready  to  put  to  sea,  Captain  Cook  weighed 
anchor  on  the  13th  of  September,  with  the  purpose  of  examining 
-the  coast  of  New  Caledonia.  In  pursuing  this  object,  by  which 
he  was  enabled  to  add  greatly  to  nautical  and  geographical 
knowledge,  the  Resolution  was  more  than  once  in  danger  of 
being  lost ;  and  particularly,  in  the  night  of  the  28th  of  the 
month,  she  had  a  narrow  escape.  Our  navigators,  on  this  occa- 
sion, were  much  alarmed,  and  day-light  showed  that  their  fears 
had  net  b^en  ill  founded.  Indeed,  breakers  had  been  continually 
ander  their  lee,  and  at  a  small  distance  from  them  ;  so  that  they 
were  in  the  most  imminent  danger.  "  We  owed  our  safety,'* 
says  the  captain,  "  to  the  interposition  of  Providence,  a  good 
look-out,  and  the  very  brisk  manner  in  which  the  ship  was  man- 
aged." 

Our  commander  now  began  to  be  tired  of  a  coast  which  he 
could  no  longer  explore  but  at  the  risk  of  losing  the  vessel,  and 
ruining  the  whole  voyage.  He  determined,  however,  not  to  leave 
it,  till  he  knew  of  what  kind  some  groves  of  trees  were,  which, 
by  their  uncommon  appearance,  had  occasioned  muck  specn.Iation, 
and  had  been  mistaken  by  several  of  the  gentlemen,  for  bisaltes. 
Captain  Cook  was  the  more  solicitous  to  ascertain  the  point,  as 
these  trees  appeared  to  be  of  a  sort  which  might  be  useful  to 
shipping,  and  had  not  been  seen  any  where  but  in  the  southern 
parts  of  New  Caledonia.  They  proved  to  be  a  species  of  spruce 
pine,  very  proper  for  spars,  which  were  tnen  wanted.  The  dis- 
covery was  valuable,  as  excepting  New  Zealand,  there  was  not 
an  island  known,  in  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  where  the  ship 
could  supply  herself  with  a  mast  or  yard,  to  whatever  distress  she 
might  be  reduced.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  carpenter  of  the 
Resolution,  who  was  a  mast-maker  as  well  as  a  shipwriglit,  that 
very  good  masts  might  be  made  from  the  trees  in  question.  Tko 
wood  of  them,  which  is  whits,  close-grained,  tough,  and  light,  is 


M 


8RC0ND   VOYAGE, 


241 


well  adapted  to  that  purpose.  One  of  the  small  islands  where 
the  trees  were  found,  was  called  by  the  captain  the  Isle  of  Pines. 
To  another,  on  account  of  its  affording  sufficient  employment  to 
the  botanists,  during  the  Uttlo  time  they  staid  upon  it,  he  gave 
the  name  of  Botany  Isle. 

Captain  Cook  now  took  into  seriou\:  consideration  what  was 
further  to  be  done.  He  had  pretty  well  determined  the  extent 
of  the  southwest  coast  of  New  Caledonia,  and  would  gladly  have 
proceeded  to  a  more  accurate  survey  of  the  whole,  had  he  not 
been  deterred  not  only  by  the  dangers  he  must  encounter,  but  by 
the  time  required  for  the  undertaking,  and  which  he  could  not 
possibly  spare.  Indeed,  when  he  considered  the  vast  ocean  he 
had  to  explore  to  the  south;  the  state  and  condition  of  the  ship; 
the  near  approach  of  summer  ;  and  that  any  material  accident 
might  detain  him  in  the  sea  even  for  another  year,  he  did  not 
think  it  advisable  to  make  New  Caledonia  any  longer  the  object 
of  his  attention.  But  though  he  was  thus  obliged  by  necessity 
for  the  first  time  to  leave  a  coast  which  he  had  discovered, 
before  it  was  fully  surveyed,  he  did  not  quit  i«  till  he  had  ascer- 
tained the  extent  of  the  country,  and  proved,  that  excepting 
Nev7  Zealand,  it  was  perhaps  the  largest  island  in  the  South 
Pacific  Ocean. 

As  the  Resolution  pursued  her  course  from  New  Caledonia, 
land  was  discovered,  which,  on  a  nearer  approach,  was  found  to 
be  an  island  of  goor'  height,  and  five  leagues  in  circuit.  Captain 
Cook  named  it  Norfolk  Isle,  in  honour  to  the  Hoble  family  of 
Howard.  It  was  uninhabited  ;  and  the  first  persons  that  ever 
set  foot  on  it  were  unquestionably  our  English  navigators.  Vari- 
ous trees  and  plants  were  observed  that  are  common  at  New 
Zealand  ;  and,  in  particular,  the  flax  plant,  which  is  rather  more 
luxuriant  here  than  in  any  part  of  that  co'  itry.  The  chief  pro- 
duce of  the  island  is  a  kind  of  spruce  piue,  exceeding  straight 
and  tall,  which  growg  in  great  abundance.    Such  is  the  size  of 

11 


' 


■J  iii^iW' 


'f.^-i 


i''  i 


■'If 


242 


CAPTAIN    COOB;  8 


manj  of  the  trees,  that,  breast  high,  they  are  thick  as  two  mer 
can  encircled.  Among  the  vegetables  of  the  place,  the  palm-cab- 
bage afforded  both  a  wholesome  and  palatable  refresLmtit;  and, 
indeed,  proved  the  most  agreeable  repast  that  our  people  hpd  for 
a  considerable  time  enjoyed.  In  addition  to  this  gratification 
they  had  the  pleasure  of  procuring  some  excellent  fish. 

From  Norfolk  Isle  our  commander  steered  for  New  Zealand, 
it  being  his  intention  to  touch  at  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  that 
he  might  refresh  his  crew,  and  put  the  ship  in  a  condition  to 
encounter  the  southern  latitudeii.  On  the  18th  of  October,  he 
anchored  before  Ship  Gove  in  that  sound  ;  and  the  first  thing  he 
did,  after  landing,  was  to  look  for  the  bottle  he  had  left  on  the 
shore,  r^  which  was  a  memorandum  It  was  taken  away  ;  and, 
it  socn  appeared,  from  indubitable  circumstances,  that  the 
Adventure  had  been  in  the  cove  after  it  was  quitted  by  the 
Resolution. 

Upon  visiting  the  gardens  which  had  been  formed  nt  Motuara, 
they  were  found  almost  in  a  state  of  nature,  having  been  wholly 
neglected  by  the  inhabitants.  Many,  however,  of  the  articles 
were  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  showed  how  well  they  liked 
the  soil  in  which  they  were  planted.  It  was  several  days  before 
any  of  the  natives  made  their  appearance,  but  when  they  did  so, 
and  recognized  Captain  Cook  and  his  friends,  joy  succeeded  to 
fear.  They  hurried  in  numbers  out  of  the  woods,  and  embrac- 
nig  the  English  over  and  over  again,  leaping  and  skipping  about 
like  madmen.  Amidst  all  this  extravagance  of  joy,  they  were 
careful  to  preserve  the  honour  of  their  females  ;  for  they  would 
not  permit  some  ^voiiien,  who  were  seen  at  a  distance,  to  come 
near  our  people.  Tiie  captain's  whole  intercourse  with  the  New 
Zealanders,  during  thi"  nis  third  visit  to  Queen  Charlotte's  Sounds 
was  peaceable  and  friendly,  and  one  of  them,  a  man  apparently 
of  consequence,  whose  name  was  Pedro,  presented  him  with  a 
staff  of  honour,  Pucb  as  the  chiefs  generally  carry.     In  return, 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


243 


8 


OUT  commander  dressed  Pedro,  who  had  a  fine  person,  and  a  good 
presence,  in  a  suit  of  old  clothes,  of  which  he  was  not  a  little 
proud. 

Captain  Cook  still  continued  his  solicit'ide  to  stock  the  island 
with  useful  animals  ;  and  accordingly,  in  addition  to  what  he  had 
formerly  done,  he  ordered  two  pigs,  a  boar  and  sow,  to  be  put 
on  shore.  There  was  reason  to  believe,  that  some  of  the  cocks 
and  bens  which  had  formerly  been  left  here  still  existed.  None 
of  them,  indeed  were  seen  ;  but  a  hen's  ejjg  was  found,  whioh 
had  not  long  been  laid.  , 

Mr.  Wales  had  now  an  opportunity  of  completing  his  obser- 
vations with  regard  to  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  so  as  to  ascer- 
tain its  latitude  and  longitude  with  the  utmost  accuracy.  In  the 
captain's  former  voyage  there  had  been  an  error  in  this  respect. 
Such  were  Mr.  Wales's  abilities  and  assiduity,  t'ut*«  the  same  cor- 
rectness was  maintained  by  him,  in  determining  the  situations  of 
all  the  other  places  which  were  visited  by  our  navigators. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  Captaiu  Cook  took  his  departure 
from  New  Zealand,  in  farther  pursuit  of  his  great  object,  the 
determination  of  the  question  conceruing  the  existence  of  a 
southern  continent.  Having  sailed,  the  2tth,  in  diflferent  degrees 
of  latitude,  extending  from  43**  to  55°  48'  south,  he  gave  up  all 
hopes  of  finding  any  more  land  in  this  ocean.  He  came,  there- 
fore, to  the  resolution  of  steering  directly  for  the  west  entrance 
of  the  Straits  of  Magalhaens,  with  a  view  of  coasting  the  south 
side  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  round  Cape  Horn,  to  the  Strait  Le 
Malre.  As  the  world  had  hitherto  obtained  but  a  very  imper- 
fect knowedge  of  this  shore,  the  captain  thought  that  the  full 
survey  of  it  would  be  more  advantageous,  both  to  navigation 
and  geogr-^phy,  than  anything  he  could  expect  to  find  in  a 
higher  latitude. 

In  the  prosecution  of  this  voyage,  our  commander,  on  the  Itth 
of  December,  reached  the  west  coast  of  Terra  del  Fuego  j  and 


JMniiMtM 


m 


m 


m 


-S'/'tv 


214 


CAPTAIN  COOKS 


having  continued  to  range  it  till  the  20th,  he  tame  to  an  anohof 
in  a  place  to  which  he  afterwards  gave  the  name  of  Christmas 
Sound.  Through  the  whole  course  of  his  various  navigations, 
he  had  never  seen  so  desolate  a  coast.  It  seems  to  be  entirely 
composed  of  rocky  mountains,  without  the  least  appearance  of 
vegetation.  These  mountains  terminate  in  horrible  precipices, 
the  craggy  summits  of  which  spire  up  to  a  vast  height  ;  so  that 
scarcely  anything  in  nature  can  appear  with  a  more  barren  and 
savage  aspect,  than  the  whole  of  the  country. 

The  run  which  Captain  Cook  had  made  directly  across  the 
ocean  in  a  high  southern  latitude,  was  believed  by  him  to  be  the 
first  of  the  kind  that  had  ever  been  carried  into  execution.  He 
was,  therefore,  somewhat  particular  in  remarking  every  circum- 
stance, which  seemed  to  be  in  the  least  material.  However,  he 
could  not  but  observe,  that  he  had  never  made  a  passage  any 
where  of  such  length,  or  even  of  a  much  shorter  extent,  in  which 
so  few  things  occurred,  that  were  of  an  interesting  nature.  Ex- 
cepting the  variation  of  the  compass,  he  knew  of  nothing  else 
that  was  worthy  of  notice.  The  captain  had  now  done  with  the 
Southern  Pacific  Ocean  ;  and  he  had  explored  it  in  such  a  man- 
ner, that  it  would  be  impossible  for  any  one  to  think  that 
more  could  be  performed  in  a  single  voyage,  towards  obtaining 
that  end,  than  had  actually  been  accomplished. 

Barren  and  dreary  as  the  land  is  about  Christmas  Sound,  it 
was  not  wholly  destitute  of  some  accommodations,  which  could 
not  fail  of  being  agreeable  to  our  navigators.  Near  every  harbour 
they  found  fresh  water  and  wood  for  fuel.  The  country  abounds 
likewise  with  wild  fowl,  and  particularly  with  geese  ;  which 
aflforded  a  refreshment  to  the  whole  crew,  that  was  the  more 
acceptable  on  account  of  the  approaching  festival.  Had  not 
Providence  thus  happly  provided  for  them,  their  Christmas  cheer 
must  have  been  salt  beef  and  pork.  Some  Madeira  wine,  the 
only  article  of  provision  that  was  mended  by  keeping,  was  still 


SECOND   VOYAGE. 


245 


,he 
till 


left.  This  in  conjunction  with  the  geese,  wh'ch  were  cooked  iu 
every  variety  of  method,  enabled  our  people  to  celebrate  Christ* 
mas  as  cheerfully  as,  perhaps,  was  done  by  their  friends  in  Eng- 
land. 

The  inhabitants  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  Captain  Cook  found  to  be 
the  same  nation  that  he  had  formerly  seen  in  Success  Bay  ;  and 
the  same  whom  M.  de  Bougainville  has  distinguished  by  the 
name  of  Pecharas.  They  are  a  little,  ugly,  half  starved,  beard- 
less race,  and  go  almost  naked.  It  is  their  own  fault  that  they 
are  not  better  clothed,  nature  having  furnished  them  with  ample 
materials  for  that  purpose.  By  lining  their  seal-skin  cloaks  with 
the  skins  and  feathers  of  aquatic  birds  ;  by  making  the  cloaks 
themselves  larger  ;  and  by  applying  the  same  materials  to  differ- 
ent parts  of  clothing,  they  might  render  their  dress  much  more 
warm  and  comfortable.  But  v/hile  they  are  doomed  to  exist  in 
one  of  the  most  inhospitable  climates  in  the  globe,  they  have  not 
sagacity  enough  to  avail  themselves  of  those  means  of  adding  to 
the  conveniences  of  life,  which  Providence  has  put  into  their 
power.  In  short,  the  captain,  after  having  been  a  witness  to  so 
many  varieties  of  the  human  race,  hath  pronounced,  that  of  all 
the  nations  he  had  seen,  the  Pecharas  are  the  most  wretched. 

Notwithstanding  the  barrenness  of  the  country  it  abounds  with 
a  variety  of  unknown  plants,  and  gave  sufficient  employment  to 
the  botanists  of  the  Resolution.  "  Almost  every  plant,"  says 
Mr.  Forster,  "  which  we  gathered  "  on  the  rocks  "  was  new  to 
us,  and  some  species  were  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  their 
flowers,  or  their  smell." 

On  the  28th  of  December,  our  commander  sailed  from  Christ- 
mas Sound,  and  proceeded  on  his  voyage,  round  Cape  Horn, 
through  Strait  Ic  Maire,  to  Staten  Land.  This  famous  Cape, 
was  passed  by  him  on  the  next  day,  when  he  entered  the  south- 
ern Atlantic  Ocean.  In  some  charts,  Cape  Horn  is  laid  down  as 
belonging  to  a  small  island  ;  but  this  was  neither  confirmed,  nor 


t 


246 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


could  it  be  contradicted  by  our  navigators ;  for  several  break-- 
ers  appeared  on  the  coast,  both  to  the  east  and  west  of  it,  and 
the  hazy  weather  rendered  every  object  very  indistinct.  Though 
the  summits  of  some  of  the  hills  were  rocky,  the  sides  and  val- 
leys seemed  covered  with  a  green  turf,  and  wooded  in  tufts. 

In  ranging  Staten  Island,  a  good  port  was  found,  situated 
three  leagues  to  the  westward  of  St.  John,  ar.d  in  a  northern 
direction.  Upon  account  of  the  day  on  which  the  discovery  of 
this  port  was  made  (being  the  lirst  of  January),  Captain  Cook 
gave  it  the  name  of  New  Year's  Harbour.  The  knowledge  of 
it  may  be  of  service  to  future  navigators..  Indeed,  it  would  be 
more  convenient  for  ships  bound  to  the  west,  or  roiind  Cape  Horn 
if  its  situation  would  permit  them  to  put  to  sea,  with  an  easter- 
ly and  northerly  wind.  But  this  inconvenience  is  not  of  great 
consequence,  since  these  winds  are  seldom  known  to  be  of  long 
duration.  The  captain,  however,  has  declared,  that  if  he  were 
on  a  voyage  round  Cape  Horn  to  the  west,  and  not  in  want  of 
wood  or  water,  or  any  other  thing  which  might  make  it  neces- 
sary to  put  into  port,  he  would  not  approach  the  land  at  all. 
By  keepmg  out  at  sea  the  currents  would  be  avoided,  which,  he 
was  satisfied,  would  lose  their  force  at  ten  or  twelve  leagues  from 
land,  and  be  totally  without  influence  at  a  greater  distance. 

The  extent  of  Terra  del  Fuego,  and  consequently  that  of  the 
Straits  of  Magalhaens,  our  commander  ascertained  to  be  less 
than  has  been  laid  down  by  the  generality  of  navigators.  Nor 
was  the  coast  upon  the  whole,  found  to  be  so  dangerous  as  has 
often  been  represented.  The  weather,  at  the  same  time,  was 
remarkably  temperate. 

In  one  of  the  little  isles  near  Staten  Land,  and  which  had 
been  called,  by  Captain  Cook,  New  Year's  Isle,  there  was  ob- 
served a  harmony  between  the  diflferent  animals  of  the  place, 
which  is  too  curious  to  be  omitted.  It  seemed  as  if  they  had  en- 
tered into  a  league  not  to  disturb  each  other's  tranquillity.    The 


BECOND   VOYAGE. 


247 


greater  part  of  the  sea-coast  is  occupied  by  sea-lions  ;  the  sea- 
bears  take  up  their  abode  in  the  isle  ;  the  shags  are  posted  in 
the  highest  cliffs  ;  the  penguins  fix  their  quarters  where  there  is 
the  most  easy  communication  to  and  from  the  sea  ;  and  the  rest 
cf  the  birds  choose  more  retired  places.  All  these  animals  were 
occasionally  seen  to  mix  together,  like  domestic  cattle  and  poul- 
try in  a  farm-yard,  without  one  attempting  to  molest  the  other. 
Nay,  the  captain  had  often  observed  the  eagles  and  vultures 
sitting  on  the  hills  among  the  shags,  while  none  of  the  latter, 
whether  old  or  young,  appeared  to  be  the  least  disturbed  at 
their  presence.  It  may  be  asked,  then,  how  do  these  birds  of 
prey  live  ?  This  question  our  commander  hath  answered,  by 
supposing  that  they  feed  on  the  carcases  of  seals  and  birds  which 
die  by  various  causes.  It  is  probable,  from  the  immense  quan- 
tity of  animals  with  which  this  island  abounds,  that  such  car- 
cases exist  in  great  numbers. 

From  Staten  Island,  Captain  Cook  sailed,  on  the  4th  of  Jan- 
uary with  a  view  in  the  first  place,  of  discovering  that  extensivB 
coast,  laid  down  by  Mr.  Dalrymple  in  his  chart,  in  which  is  the 
gulf  of  St.  Sebastian.  In  order  to  have  all  other  parts  before 
him,  the  captain  designed  to  make  the  western  point  of  that 
gulf.  As  he  had  some  doubt  of  the  existence  of  such  a  coast, 
this  appeared  to  him  the  best  route  for  determining  the  matter, 
and  for  exploring  the  southern  part  of  this  ocean.  When  he 
came  to  the  situations  assigned  to  the  different  points  of  the 
gulf  of  St.  Sebastian,  neither  land  nor  any  unequivocal  signs  of 
land  were  discovered.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  evident,  that  there 
could  not  be  any  extensive  tract  of  country  in  the  direction 
which  had  been  supposed. 

Proceeding  in  his  voyage,  land  was  seen  on  the  14th,  which 
was  at  first  mistaken  for  an  island  of  ice.  It  was  in  a  manner 
wholly  covered  with  snow.  From  the  person  by  whom  it  was 
first  discovered,  it  obtained  the  name  of  Wallis's  Island.    It  is  a 


f:''    M 


n 


248 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


high  rock,  of  no  great  extent,  near  to  which  are  some  rocky 
islets.  Another  island  of  a  larger  compass,  on  account  of  the 
vast  namber  of  birds  which  were  upon  it,  was  called  Bird  Isle. 
A  more  extensive  range  of  country  had  been  seen  for  some  time, 
which  Captain  Cook  reached  on  the  Hth,  and  where  he  landed, 
on  the  same  day,  in  three  different  places.  The  head  of  the  bay, 
in  which  he  came  to  shore,  was  terminated  by  particular  ice-cliffs, 
of  considerable  height.  Pieces  were  continually  breaking  off, 
and  floating  out  to  sea  ;  and  while  onr  navigators  were  in  the 
bay,  a  gi'eat  fall  happened,  which  made  a  noise  like  a  cannon. 
No  less  savage  a  ud  horrible  wore  the  inner  parts  of  the  country. 
The  wild  rocks  raised  their  summits  till  they  were  lost  in  the 
clouds,  and  the  valleys  lay  covered  with  everlasting  snow.  There 
was  not  a  tree  to  be  seen,  or  a  shrub  found,  that  was  even  big 
enough  to  malte  a  tooth-pick.  The  only  vegetation,  that  was 
met  with,  was  a  coarse  strong-bladed  grass,  growing  in  tufts, 
wild  burnot,  and  a  plant  like  moss,  which  sprang  from  the  rocks. 

When  our  commander  landed  in  the  bay,  he  displayed  the 
Enp:lish  colours  ;  and,  under  a  discharge  of  small  arms,  took 
possession  of  the  country  in  his  majesty's  name.  It  was  not, 
however,  a  discovery  which  was  ever  likely  to  be  productive  of 
any  considerable  benefit.  In  his  return  to  the  ship,  Captain  Cook 
brought  with  him  a  quantity  of  seals  and  penguins,  which  were 
an  acceptable  present  to  the  crew  ;  not  from  the  want  of  provis- 
ions, which  were  plentiful  in  every  kind,  but  from  a  change  of 
diet.  Any  sort  of  fresh  meat  was  preferred  by  most  on  board 
to  salt.  The  captain  himself  was  now,  for  the  first  time,  tired  of 
■•  the  salted  meats  of  the  ship  ;  and  though  the  flesh  ot  the  pen- 
guins could  scarcely  vie  with  bullock's  liver,  its  freshness  was 
suSicieut  to  render  it  comparatively  agreeable  to  the  palate.  To 
the  bay  hi  which  he  had  been,  be  gave  the  name  of  Possession 
Bay. 

The  land  in  w  hich  this  oay  lies,  was  at  first  judged  by  our 


SECOND   V0Y1.QB. 


249 


navigators  to  be  part  of  a  great  continent.  But  upon  coasting 
round  the  whole  country,  it  was  proved  to  a  demonstration  that 
it  was  only  an  island  of  seventy  leagues  in  circuit.  In  honour  to 
his  majesty,  Captain  Cook  called  it  the  Isle  of  Qeorgia.  It  could 
scarcely  have  been  thought,  that  an  island  of  no  greater  extent 
than  this,  situated  between  latitude  of  fifty-four  and  fifty-five, 
should,  in  a  manner,  be  wholly  covered,  many  fathoms  deep,  with 
frozen  snow,  in  the  height  of  summer.  The  sides  and  summits 
of  the  lofty  mountains  were  cased  with  snow  and  ice  ;  and  an 
incredible  quantity  lay  in  the  valleys.  So  immense  was  the 
quantity,  that  our  commander  did  not  think  that  it  could  be  the 
produce  of  the  island.  Some  land,  therefore,  which  he  had  seen 
at  a  distance,  induced  him  to  believe,  that  it  might  belong  to  au 
extensive  tract  ;  and  gave  him  hopes  of  discovering  a  continent. 
In  this  respect,  however,  he  was  disappointed  ;  but  the  disap- 
pointment did  not  sit  heavily  upon  him  ;  since,  to  judge  of  the 
bulk  by  the  apprehended  sample,  it  would  not  have  been  worth 
the  discovery.  It  was  remarkable,  that  our  voyagers  did  not  see 
a  river,  or  a  stream  of  fresh  water,  on  the  whole  coast  of  the 
Isle  of  Georgia.  Captain  Cook  judged  it  to  be  highly  probable, 
that  there  are  no  perennial  springs  in  the  country  ;  and  that  the 
interior  parts,  in  consequence  of  t"heir  being  much  elevated,  never 
enjoy  heat  enough  to  melt  the  snow  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
produce  a  river  or  stream  of  water.  In  sailing  round  the  island, 
our  navigators  were  almost  continually  involved  in  a  thick  mist ; 
so  that,  for  anything  they  knew  to  the  contrary,  they  might  be 
surrounded  with  dangerous  rocks. 

The  captain,  on  the  25th  of  the  month,  steered  from  the  Isle 
of  Georgia,  and,  on  the  27th,  computed  that  he  was  in  latitude 
sixty,  south.  Farther  than  this  he  did  not  intend  to  go,  unless 
some  certain  signs  of  soon  meeting  with  land  should  be  discov- 
ered. There  was  now  a  long  hollow  swell  from  the  west,  which 
was  a  strong  indication  that  no  land  was  to  be  met  with  \l  that 

11* 


.1 


11? 


"1 
•  1l 


Mi 


^M 


250 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


direction  ;  and  hcnco  arose  an  additional  proof  of  what  \im 
already  been  remarked,  that  the  extensive  coafit  laid  down  in 
Mr.  Dalryraple's  chart  of  the  ocean  between  Africa  and  America 
and  the  Gulf  of  St.  Sebastian,  doth  not  exist.  Not  to  mention 
the  various  islands  which  were  seen  in  the  prosecution  of  the 
voyage,  and  the  names  that  were  given  to  them,  I  shall  only 
advert  to  a  few  of  the  more  material  circumstances.  On  an  ele- 
vated coast,  which  appeared  in  sight  on  the  81st,  our  comman- 
der bestowed  the  appellation  of  Southern  Thulc.  The  reason  of 
his  giving  it  this  name  was,  that  it  is  the  most  southern  land 
that  had  ever  been  yet  discovered.  It  is  everywhere  covered 
with  snow,  and  displays  a  surface  of  vast  height.  On  this  day, 
our  voyagers  were  in  no  small  danger  from  a  great  westerly 
swell,  which  set  right  upon  the  shore,  and  threatened  to  carry 
them  on  the  most  horrible  coast  in  the  world.  Happily,  the  dis- 
covery of  a  point  to  the  north,  beyond  which  no  land  could  be 
seen,  relieved  them  from  their  apprehensions.  To  the  more  dis- 
tinguished tracts  of  counti-y,  which  were  discovered  Irom  the  31st 
of  January  to  the  6th  of  February,  Captain  Cook  gave  the  names 
of  Cape  Bristol,  Cape  Montagu,  Saunder's  Isle,  Candlemas  Isles, 
and  Sandwich's  Land.  The  last  is  either  a  group  of  islands,  or 
else  a  point  of  the  continent.  For  that  there  is  a  tract  of  land 
near  the  pole,  which  is  the  source  of  most  of  the  ice  that  is 
spread  over  this  vast  Southern  Ocean,  was  the  captain's  firm 
opinion.  He  also  thought  it  probable,  that  this  land  must  ex- 
tend farthest  to  the  north,  where  it  is  opposite  to  the  Southern 
Atlantic  and  Indian  Oceans.  Ice  had  always  been  found  by  him 
farther  to  the  north  in  these  oceans,  than  anywhere  else,  and 
this  he  judged  could  not  be  the  case,  if  there  were  not  land  of 
considerable  extent  to  the  south.  However,  the  greatest  part 
of  this  southern  continent,  if  it  actually  exists,  must  lie  within 
the  polar  circle,  where  the  sea  is  so  encumbered  with  ice,  that 
the  land  is  rendered  inaccessible.     So  great  is  the  risk  which  is 


6EG0ND   VOTAOK. 


251 


run,  it  examining  a  coast  in  these  unknown  and  icy  seas,  that 
our  commander,  with  a  modest  and  well-grounded  boldness,  could 
assert,  that  no  man  would  ever  venture  farther  than  he  had 
done  ;  and  that  the  lands  which  may  lie  to  the  south  will  never 
be  explored.  Thick  fogs,  snow  storms,  intense  cold,  and  every 
thing  beside,  that  can  render  navigation  dangerous,  must  bo 
encountered  ;  all  which  difficulties  are  greatly  heightened  by  the 
inexpressibly  hor'-lu  aspect  of  the  country.  It  is  a  country 
doomed  by  nature  never  once  to  feel  the  warmth  of  the  sun's 
rays,  but  to  lie  buried  in  everlasting  snow  and  ice.  Whatever 
ports  there  may  be  on  the  coast,  they  are  almost  entirely  covered 
with  frozen  snow  of  a  vast  thickness.  If,  however,  any  one  of 
them  should  be  so  far  open  as  to  invite  a  ship  into  it,  she  would 
run  the  risk  of  being  fixed  there  for  ever,  or  of  coming  out  in  an 
ice  island.  To  this  it  may  be  added  that  the  islands  and  floats 
on  the  coast,  the  great  falls  from  the  ice  cliffs  in  the  port,  or  a 
heavy  snow  storm,  attended  with  a  sharp  frost,  might  be  equally 
fatal. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  inclination  of  Captain  Cook,  if  it 
had  been  practicable,  to  penetrate  farther  to  the  south  ;  but 
difficulties  like  these  were  not  to  be  surmounted.  If  he  had 
risked  all  that  had  been  done  during  the  voyage,  for  the  sake  of 
discovering  and  exploring  a  coast  which,  when  discovered  and 
explored,  would  have  answered  no  end  whatever,  or  have  been 
of  the  least  use  either  to  navigation  or  geography,  or  indeed  to 
any  other  science,  he  would  justly  have  been  charged  with  inex- 
cusable temerity.  He  determined,  therefore,  to  alter  his  course 
to  the  east,  and  to  sail  in  quest  of  Bouvet's  Land,  the  existence 
of  which  was  yet  to  be  settled.  Accordingly,  this  was  the  prin- 
cipal object  of  his  pursuit,  from  the  6th  to  the  22d  of  the  month. 
By  that  day  he  had  run  down  thirteen  degrees  of  longitude,  in 
the  very  latitude  assigned  for  Bouvet's  Land.  No  such  land, 
however,  was  discovered  ;  nor  did  any  proofs  occur  of  the  exist* 


\\4 


i\\'\. 


252 


CAPTAIN  COOK  8 


ence  of  Gape  Circumcision.  Our  commander  was  at  thia  time 
no  more  than  two  degrees  of  longitude  from  the  route  he  had 
taken  to  the  south,  when  ho  left  the  Cape  of  Good  Ilope.  It 
would,  therefore,  have  been  to  no  purpose  to  proceed  anj  farther 
10  the  east  in  this  parallel.  But  being  desirous  of  determining  the 
question  concerning  some  laud  that  was  £'upposed  to  hare  been 
seen  more  to  the  south,  he  directed  his  course  for  the  situation 
in  which  the  discovery  of  it  might  be  expected.  Two  day?  were 
spent  by  him  in  this  pursuit,  to  no  effectual  purpose.  After 
having  run  uver  the  place  where  the  land  was  imagined  to  lie, 
without  meeting  with  the  least  signs  of  any,  it  became  certain 
that  the  ice  islands  had  deceived  our  navigators,  as  well  as  Mr. 
Bouvet. 

Captain  Cook  had  now  made  the  circuit  of  the  southern  occau 
in  a  high  latitude,  and  traversed  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave 
not  the  least  room  for  tlie  possibility  of  there  being  a  continent, 
unless  near  the  pole,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  navigation.  By 
twice  visiting  the  tropical  sea,  he  had  not  only  settled  the  situa- 
tion of  some  old  discoveries,  but  made  many  new  ones  ;  and, 
indeed,  even  in  that  part  had  left  little  more  to  be  accomplished. 
The  intention  of  the  voyage  had,  in  every  respect,  been  fully 
answered,  and  the  southern  hemisphere  suflGciently  explored. 
A  final  end  was  hereby  put  to  the  searching  after  a  southern 
continent,  which  for  nearly  two  centuries  past,  had  occasionally 
engrossed  the  attention  of  some  of  the  maritime  powers,  and 
had  been  urged  with  great  ardour  by  philosophers  and  geogra 
phers  in  different  ages. 

The  great  purpose  of  his  navigation  round  the  globe  being 
thus  completed,  the  captain  began  to  direct  his  views  towards 
England.  He  had,  indeed,  some  thoughts  of  protracting  his 
course  a  little  longer,  for  the  sake  of  revisiting  the  place  where 
the  French  disoovery  is  said  to  be  situated.  But,  upon  mature 
deliberation,  he  determined  to  lay  aside  his  intention.    He  con- 


SECOND   VOYAOR. 


258 


Rideied  that  if  the  discovery  had  really  been  madj,  the  end  would 
be  as  fully  answered,  as  if  it  had  been  done  by  hiniRelf.  It  could 
only  be  an  island  ;  and,  if  a  judgment  might  bo  formed  from  the 
degree  of  cold  which  our  voyagers  had  experienced  in  that  lati- 
tude, it  could  not  be  a  fertile  one.  Besides,  our  commander 
would  hereby  have  been  kept  two  months  longer  at  sea,  and  that 
in  a  tempestuous  latitude,  with  which  the  ship  was  not  in  a  con- 
dition to  struggle.  Ilcr  sails  and  rigging  were  so  much  worn 
that  something  was  giving  way  every  hour  ;  and  there  was 
nothing  left,  either  to  repair  or  to  replace  them.  The  provisions 
of  the  vessel  were  in  such  a  state  of  decay,  that  they  afforded 
very  little  nourishment,  and  the  company  had  been  long  without 
refreshments.  Indeed  the  crew  were  yet  healthy,  and  would 
cheerfully  have  gone  wherever  the  captain  judged  it  propei* 
to  lead  them  ;  but  he  was  fearful  lest  the  scurvy  should  lay 
hold  of  them,  at  a  time  when  none  of  the  remedies  were  left  by 
which  it  could  be  removed.  lie  thought,  likewise,  that  it  would 
have  been  cruel  in  him  to  have  continued  the  fatigues  and  hard- 
ships they  were  perpetually  exposed  to,  longer  than  was  abso- 
lutely necessary.  Throughout  the  whole  voyage,  they  had  meri- 
ted by  their  behaviour  every  indulgence  which  it  was  in  his  power 
to  bestow.  Animated  by  the  conduct  of  the  oflBcers,  they  had 
«hown  that  no  difficulties  or  dangers  which  came  in  their  way 
were  incapable  of  being  surmounted  ;  nor  had  their  activity, 
courage,  and  cheerfulness  been  in  the  least  abated  by  the  separa- 
tion from  them  of  their  consort  the  Adventure. 

From  all  these  considerations,  which  were  evidently  the  dic- 
tates of  wisdom  and  humanity.  Captain  Cook  was  induced  to 
spend  no  longer  time  in  searching  for  the  French  discoveries,  but 
to  steer  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  He  determined,  however, 
to  direct  his  course  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  look  for  the  Isles  of 
Denia  and  Marseveen,  which  are  laid  down  in  Dr.  Halley's  vari- 
ation chai'i.     After  sailing  in  the  proper  latitudes  fDm  the  25th 


'I 
M 


I 


'I 


0i 


'f' 


.r;ifl 


■■i 
It 


254 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


of  February  to  the  13th  of  March,  no  such  islands  were  discor- 
ered.  Nothing,  indeed,  had  been  seen  that  could  encourage  our 
voyagers  to  persevere  in  a  search  after  them  :  '  much  time 
could  not  now  be  spared,  either  for  the  purpose  of  finding  them 
or  of  proving  their  non-existence.  Every  one  on  board  was  for 
good  reasons  impatient  to  get  into  port.  The  captain,  therefore, 
could  no  longer  avoid  yielding  to  the  general  wishes,  and  resolved 
to  proceed  to  the  Cape,  without  further  delay. 

Soon  ftfter  our  commander  had  come  to  this  determination,  he 
demanded  of  the  oflBcers  and  petty  ofiBcers,  in  pursuance  of  hifl 
instructions,  the  log-books  and  journals  they  had  kept ;  which 
were  delivered  to  him  accordingly,  and  sealed  up  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  admiralty.  He  enjoined  them  also,  and  the  whole 
crew,  not  to  divulge  where  they  had  been,  till  they  were  permit- 
ted by  their  lordships  ;  an  injunction,  a  compliance  with  which 
might  probably  be  rendered  somewhat  difficult,  from  the  natural 
tendency  there  is  in  men,  to  relate  the  extraordinary  enterprises 
and  adventures  wherein  they  have  been  concerned. 

As  the  Resolution  approached  towards  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
she  fell  in  first  with  a  Dutch  East  Indiaman  from  Bengal,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Bosch  ;  and  next  with  an  English  Indiaman 
being  the  True  Briton,  from  China,  of  which  Captain  Broadly 
was  the  commander.  Mr.  Bosch  very  obligingly  offered  to  our 
navigators  sugar,  arrack,  and  whatever  he  had  to  spare  ;  and 
Ciptain  Broadly,  with  the  most  ready  generosity  sent  them 
fresh  provisions,  tea,  and  various  articles  which  could  not  fail 
of  being  peculiarly  acceptable  to  people  in  their  situation. 
Eveu  a  parcel  of  old  newspapers  furnished  no  slight  gratification 
to  persons,  who  had  so  long  been  deprived  of  obtaining  any  intel- 
gcnce  concerning  their  country  and  the  state  of  Europe.  From 
these  vessels  Captain  Cook  received  some  information  with  regard 
to  what  had  happened  the  Adventure  after  her  separation  from 
the  Kosolutioo. 


BECOND   VOYAGE. 


255 


On  Wednesday,  the  22d  of  March,*  he  anchored  in  Table 
Bay  ;  where  he  found  several  Dutch  ships,  some  French,  and  the 
Ceres,  an  English  East  Indiainan,  bound  directly  for  England, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Newte.  By  this  gentleman  he 
sent  a  copy  of  the  preceding  part  of  the  journal,  some  charts,  and 
other  drawings  to  the  admiralty. 

During  the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe,  ^rom  the  period  of 
our  commander's  lea/ing  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  his  return  to 
it  again,  he  had  sailed  no  less  than  twenty  thousand  leagues. 
This  was  an  extent  of  voyage  nearly  equal  to  three  times  the 
equatorial  circumference  of  the  earth,  and  which  had  never  been 
accomplished  before,  by  any  ship,  in  the  same  compass  of  dura- 
tion. In  such  a  case,  it  could  not  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
the  rigging  and  sails  of  the  Resolution  should  be  essentially  dam- 
aged, and  even  worn  out  :  and  yet,  in  all  this  great  run,  which  had 
been  made  in  every  latitude  between  nine  and  seventy-one,  she 
did  not  spring  either  low  mast,  top-mast,  lower  or  top-sail  yard  ; 
nor  did  she  so  much  as  break  a  lower  or  top-mast  shroud.  These 
happy  circumstances  were  owing  to  the  good  properties  of  the 
vessel,  and  the  singular  care  and  abilities  of  her  officers. 

On  the  remainder  of  the  voyage  it  is  not  necessary  to  enlarge. 
Though  it  was  conducted  with  the  same  attention  to  navigation 
and  geography,  and  with  the  same  sagacity  in  making  whatever 
was  worthy  of  observation,  nevertheless,  as  it  was  not  employed 
in  traversing  unknown  seas,  or  in  discovering  countries  that  had 
not  been  heard  of  before,  it  may  be  sufficient  briefly  to  mention 
the  places  at  which  Captain  Cook  touched,  before  his  arrival  in 
England.  The  repairs  of  the  ship  having  been  completed,  and 
the  necessary  stores  gotten  on  board,  together  with  a  fresh  sup- 
ply of  provisions  and  water,  he  left  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  on 
the  2tth  of  April,  and  reached  the  island  of  St.  Helena  on  the 

*  With  oar  naTtgaton,  who  had  sailed  round  the  world,  it  waa  Wednesday,  the  SStd  ft 
March ;  I  ut  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  it  waa  Tuesday  the  21st. 


>  •'yl 


i 


M: 


I    ,  t 


256 


CAPTAIN   cook's   SECOND   VOYAGE. 


15th  of  May.  Here  he  ^t&id  till  the  2l8t,  when  he  sailed  for  the 
island  of  Ascension,  where  he  anchored  on  the  28th.  From  this 
place  he  directed  his  course,  on  the  31st,  for  the  island  of  Fer- 
nando de  Noronha,  at  which  he  arrived  on  the  9th  of  June. 

lu  the  progress  of  the  voyage,  our  commander  made  an  exper* 
iment  upon  the  still  for  procuring  fresh  water  ;  and  the  result  of  ^ 
the  trial  was,  that  the  invention  h  useful  upon  the  whole,  but 
that  to  trust  entirely  to  it  would  by  no  means  be  advisable. 
Indeed,  provided  there  is  not  a  scarcity  of  fuel,  and  the  coppers 
are  good,  as  much  water  may  be  obtained  as  will  support  life  ; 
but  no  efforts  will  be  able  to  procure  a  quantity  sufficient  for  the 
preservation  of  health,  especially  in  hot  climates.  Captain  Cook 
was  convinced,  by  experience,  that  nothing  contributes  more  to 
the  health  of  seamen,  than  having  plenty  of  water. 

On  tha  14th  of  July,  the  captain  came  to  an  anchor  in  the 
Bay  of  Fayal,  one  of  the  Azores  islands.  His  sole  design  of 
stopping  here  was  to  give  Mr.  Wales  an  opportunity  of  finding 
the  rate  of  the  watch,  that  hereby  he  might  be  enabled  to  fix 
the  longitude  of  these  islands  with  the  greater  degree  of  certain- 
ty. No  sooner,  therefore,  had  our  commander  anchored,  than  ho 
sent  an  officer  to  wait  on  the  English  consul,  and  to  acquaint 
the  governor  with  the  arrival  of  our  navigators,  requesting  his 
permission  for  Mr.  Wales  to  make  observations  on  shore,  for  the 
purpose  now  mentioned.  Mr.  Dent,  who  then  acted  as  consul, 
not  only  obtained  this  ^/ermission,  but  accommodated  Mr.  Wales 
with  a  convenient  place  in  his  garden,  to  set  up  his  intruments. 

This  object  being  accomplished,  Captain  Cook  proceeded,  on 
the  19th,  with  all  expedition  for  England.  On  the  30th  of  the 
same  month,  he  anchored  at  Spithead,  and  landed  at  Ports- 
mouth ;  having  been  absent  from  Great  Britain  three  years  and 
eighteen  days,  in  which  time,  and  under  all  changes  of  climate, 
he  had  lost  but  four  men,  and  only  one  of  them  by  sickness. 


▲OOOUMT  OF   CAPTAIN   COOK. 


257 


CHAPTER    V. 

ACOOTTNT     or     CAPTAIN    COOK    DURING    THE    PERIOD    BETWEEN    HI8 
SECOND  VOTAOB   AND   BIS  VOYAGE  TO  THE   PACIFIC   OCEAN. 

The  able  manner  in  which  Captain  Cook  had  condacted  the 
preceding  Tovage,  the  discoveries  he  had  made,  and  his  complete 
determination  of  the  grand  point  he  had  been  sent  to  ascertain,, 
justly  and  powerfully  recommended  him  to  the  protection  and 
encouragement  of  all  those  who  had  patronized  the  undertaking. 

No  alteration  had  occurred,  dnring  his  absence,  in  the  presi- 
dency of  the  admiralty  department.  The  noble  lord,  whose  ex- 
tensive views  had  taken  such  a  lead  in  the  plans  of  navigation 
and  discovery,  still  continued  at  the  head  of  that  board  ;  and  it 
could  not  be  otherwise  than  a  high  satisfaction  to  him,  that  so 
extraordinary  a  degree  of  success  had  attended  his  designs  for  the 
enlargement  of  science.  His  lordship  lost  no  time  in  represent- 
ing Captain  Cook's  merits  to  the  king  ;  nor  did  his  majesty 
stand  in  need  of  solicitations  to  show  favour  to  a  man,  who  had 
so  eminently  fulfilled  his  royal  and  munificent  intentions.  Ac- 
cordingly our  navigator,  on  the  9th  of  August,  was  raised  to  the 
rank  of  post  captain.  Three  days  afterwards,  he  received  a 
more  distinguished  and  substantia!  mark  of  the  approbation  of 
government ;  for  he  was  then  appointed  a  captain  in  Greenwich 
Hospital — a  situation  which  was  intended  to  afford  him  a  pleas- 
ing aiid  honourable  reward  for  his  illustrious  labours  and  ser- 
vices. 

It  will  easily  be  supposed,  that  the  lovers  of  science  would,  in 
general,  be  peculiarly  attentive  to  the  effects  resulting  from 
Captain  Cook's  discoveries.    The  additions  he  had  made  tu 


t  -'livi 


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258 


AOCOCNT  OP  CAPTAIN   COOK   BETWEEN 


knowledge  of  geography,  navigation  and  astronomy,  and  the 
new  views  he  had  opened  of  the  diversi6ed  state  of  human  life 
and  manners,  could  not  avoid  commanding  their  esteem,  and  ex- 
citing  their  admiration.  With  many  persons  of  philosophic  lit* 
erature  he  was  in  the  habits  of  intimacy  and  friendship  ;  and  he 
was  particularly  accquainted  with  Sir  John  Pringle,  at  that  time 
president  of  the  Royal  Society.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that 
his  scientific  friends  should  wish  him  to  become  a  member  of  this 
learned  body  ;  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that,  in  the  latter 
end  of  the  year  1175,  he  was  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  elec- 
tion. On  the  29th  of  February,  1776,  he  was  unanimously  c:;> 
sen  :  and  he  was  admitted  on  the  7th  of  March.  The  same 
evening,  a  paper  was  read,  which  he  had  addressed  to  Sir  John 
Pringle,  containing  an  account  of  the  method  he  had  taken  to 
preserve  the  health  of  the  crew  of  his  majesty's  ship  the  Resolu* 
tion,  during  her  voyage  round  the  world.  Another  paper,  at 
the  request  of  tLe  president,  was  communicated  by  him,  on  the 
18th  of  April,  relative  to  the  tides  in  the  South  Seas.  The  tides 
particularly  considered  were  those  in  the  Endeavour  River,  ou 
the  east  coast  of  New  Holland. 

A  still  greater  honour  was  in  reserve  for  Captain  Cook,  than 
the  election  of  him  to  be  a  common  member  of  the  Royal  Society. 
It  was  resolved  by  Sir  John  Pringle  and  the  council  of  the  so- 
ciety, to  bestow  upon  him  the  estimable  prize  of  the  gold  medal, 
for  the  best  experimental  paper  of  the  year  ;  and  no  determina- 
tion could  be  founded  in  greater  wisdom  and  justice.  If  Captain 
Cook  had  made  no  important  discoveries,  if  he  had  not  deter- 
mined the  question  concerning  a  southern  continent,  his  name 
would  have  been  entitled  to  immortality  on  account  of  his  hu- 
mane attention  to,  and  his  unparalleled  success  in  preserving  the 
lives  and  health  of  his  seamen. 

Be  had  good  reason,  upon  this  head,  to  assume  the  pleasure- 
able,  but  modest  language,  with  which  he  has  concluded  h's  nar- 


HIS   8ECX)ND   AND  THIRD   VOTAGR. 


259 


ratiye  of  his  second  navigation  roand  the  globe  :  "  Whatever," 
says  he,  "  may  be  the  public  judgment  about  other  matters,  it 
is  with  real  satisfaction,  and  without  claiming  any  merit,  but 
that  of  attention  to  my  duty,  that  I  can  conclade  this  account 
with  an  observation,  which  facts  enable  me  to  make,  that  our 
having  discovered  the  possibility  of  preserving  health  among  a 
numerous  ship's  company,  for  such  a  length  of  time,  in  such 
varieties  of  climate,  and  amidst  such  continued  hardships  and 
fatigues,  will  make  this  voyage  remarkable,  in  the  opinion  of  every 
benevolent  person,  when  the  disputes  about  the  southern  conti- 
nent shall  have  ceased  to  engage  the  attention,  and  to  divide  the 
judgment  of  philosophers." 

It  was  the  custom  of  Sir  John  Pringle,  at  the  delivery  of  Sir 
Godfrey  Copley's  animal  medal,  to  give  an  elaborate  discourse, 
containing  the  history  of  that  part  of  science  for  the  improve- 
ment of  which  the  medal  was  confer  "ed.  Upon  the  present  occa- 
sion, the  president  had  a  subject  to  enlarge  upon,  which  was  per- 
fectly congenial  to  his  disposition  and  studies.  His  own  life  had 
been  much  employed  in  pointing  the  means  which  tended  not 
only  to  cure,  but  to  prevent  the  diseases  of  mankind  ;  and, 
therefore,  it  was  with  peculiar  pleasure  and  affection,  that  he 
celebrated  the  conduct  of  his  friend,  who,  by  precautions  equally 
wise  and  simple,  had  rendered  the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe, 
so  far  as  health  is  concerned,  quite  a  harmless  undertaking.  To- 
wards the  beginning  of  his  discourse,  Sir  John  justly  asks, 
"  What  inquiry  can  be  so  useful  as  that  which  hath  for  its  object 
the  saving  the  lives  of  men  ?  and  when  shall  we  Gnd  one  more 
successful  than  that  before  as  ?  Here,"  adds  the  president,  "  are 
no  vain  boastings  of  the  empiric,  nor  ingenious  and  delusive  the- 
ories of  the  dogmatist :  but  a  concise  and  artless,  and  an  incon- 
tested  relation  of  the  means,  by  wliich,  under  divine  favour.  Captain 
Cook,  with  a  company  of  a  hundred  and  eighteen  men,  performed 
a  voyage  of  three  years  and  eighteen  days,  throughout  al'  tte  cli- 


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260 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK  BETWEEN 


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mates,  from  fifty-two  degrees  north  to  t  sirenty-one  degrees  soath, 
with  the  loss  of  only  one  man  by  sickness. — I  would  inquire,"  pro- 
ceeds Sir  John  Pringle,  "  of  the  most  conversant  in  tie  study  of 
bills  of  mortality,  whether,  in  the  most  healthful  climate,  and  in  the 
best  condition  of  life,  they  have  ever  found  so  small  a  number  of 
deaths,  within  tbat  space  of  time  ?  How  great  and  agreeable  then 
must  our  surprise  be,  after  perusing  the  histories  of  long  nayiga- 
tions  in  former  days,  when  so  many  perished  by  marine  diseases,  to 
find  the  air  of  the  sea  acquitted  of  all  malignity  ;  and,  in  fine, 
that  a  voyage  round  the  world  may  be  undertaken  with  less 
danger,  perhaps,  to  health,  than  a  common  tour  in  Europe  !'' 

In  the  progress  of  his  discourse,  the  president  recounted 
the  dreadful  calamities  and  destruction  the  scurvy  had  hereto- 
fore brought  upon  mariners  in  voyages  of  great  length  ;  after 
which  he  pointed  out  at  large,  and  illustrated  with  his  own  ob- 
servations, the  methods  pursued  by  Captain  Cook  for  preserving 
the  health  of  his  men.  In  cOiiclusion,  Sir  John  remarked,  that 
the  Royal  Society  never  more  cordially  or  more  meritoriously 
bestowed  the  gold  medal,  that  faithful  symbol  of  their  esteem 
and  affection.  "  For  if,"  says  he,  "  Rome  decreed  the  civic  crown 
to  him  who  saved  the  life  a  single  citizen,  what  wreaths  are  due 
to  that  man,  who,  having  himself  saved  many,  perpetuates  in  your 
transactions  th«  means  by  which  Britain  may  now,  on  the  most 
distant  voyages,  preserve  numbers  of  her  intrepid  sons,  her  marin- 
ers, who,  braving  every  danger,  have  so  liberally  contributed  to 
the  fame,  to  the  opulence,  and  to  the  maritime  empire  of  their 
country."  * 


*  "It  cannot  but  be  acceptable  to  Insert  here,  Captain  Cook's  enumeration  of  tha 
Beveral  causes,  to  which,  under  the  care  of  Providence,  the  uncommon  good  state  of 
hca'ith,  experienced  by  his  people  was  owing.  I  shall  not  trespass  upon  the  reader's  time 
In  mentioning  them  all,  but  confine  myself  to  such  as  were  found  the  most  useful. 

"  We  were  furnished  with  a  quantity  of  malt,  of  which  was  made  awe-t  tco'  t.  To  such 
of  the  men  us  showed  the  least  symptoms  of  the  scurvy ;  and  also  to  such  as  were  thought 
to  be  threatened  wlih  that  disorder,  this  was  given,  from  one  to  two  or  three  pints  a  day 
tach  ni»n;  or  in  luch  proportion  as  the  lurgeon  found  necessary,  which  sometim*'! 


HIB   SECOND   AND   TUIRD    VOYAGE. 


261 


One  circumstance  alone  was  wanting  to  complete  the  pleasure 
and  celebrity  arising  from  the  assignment  of  Sir  Godfrey  Copley's 

•mounted  to  three  quarts.  This  to,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  beat  anti-acorbutio  aes 
luedicinea  yet  dlacorered ;  and  if  used  in  time,  will,  with  proper  attention  to  other  thingi, 
I  am  persuaded,  prevent  the  scurvy  fk-ora  making  any  great  progress  for  a  considerable 
while.    But  I  am  not  altogether  of  opinion  that  it  will  cure  at  sea. 

"  Sow  krout,  of  which  we  had  a  large  quantity,  Is  not  only  a  wholesome  vegetable 
food,  but,  In  my  Judgment,  highly  anti-scorbutic ;  and  it  spoils  not  by  keeping.  A  pound 
of  this  was  served  to  each  man,  when  at  sea,  twice  a  week,  or  oflener,  as  was  thought 
necessary. 

"  PorUihU  broth  was  another  great  article  of  which  we  had  a  large  supply.  An  ounce 
of  tUs  to  each  man,  er  such  other  proportion  as  circumstances  pointed  out,  was  boiled  in 
their  peas,  three  days  in  the  week ;  and  when  we  were  in  places  where  vegetables  were 
to  be  got,  it  was  boiled  with  them,  and  wheat  or  oatmeal,  every  morning  for  breakfast, 
and  also  with  peas  and  vegetables  for  dinner.  It  enabled  us  to  make  several  nourish' 
Ing  and  wholesome  messes,  and  was  the  means  of  making  the  people  eat  a  greater 
quantity  of  vegetables,  than  they  would  otherwise  have  done. 

"  Rob  of  Lemon  and  Orange  is  an  antl -scorbutic  we  were  not  without  like  nurgeon 
made  use  of  it  in  many  cases,  with  great  success. 

"  Among  the  articles  of  victualling,  we  were  supplied  with  mgnr  in  the  room  of  oil. 
and  with  wheat  for  a  part  of  our  ontmeal ;  and  were  certainly  gainers  by  the  exchange. 
<3ugar,  I  apprehend,  is  a  very  good  anti-scorbutic;  whereas  oil  (such  as  the  navy  is 
dsually  supplied  with),  I  am  of  opinion,  has  the  contrary  effect. 

"  But  the  introduction  of  the  most  salutary  articles,  either  as  provisions  or  medicines, 
irill  generally  prove  unsuccessful,  unless  supported  by  certain  regulations.  On  this 
principle,  many  years'  experience,  together  with  some  hints  I  had  from  Sir  Hugh  Palliser, 
Captains  Campbell,  Wallis,  and  other  intelligent  oOicers,  enabled  me  to  lay  apian  where* 
by  all  was  to  be  governed. 

"  The  crew  were  at  three  watches,  except  upon  some  extraordinary  occasions.  By 
this  means  they  were  not  so  much  exposed  to  the  weather,  as  If  they  had  been  at  watch 
&nd  watch ;  and  had  generally  dry  clothes  to  shift  themselves,  when  they  happened  to 
get  wet.    Care  was  also  taken  to  expose  them  as  little  to  wet  weather  as  possible. 

"Proper  methods  were  used  to  keep  their  persons,  hammocks,  bedding,  clothes,  ete., 
constantly  clean  and  dry.  Equal  care  was  taken  to  keep  the  ship  clean  and  diy  betwixt 
decks.  Once  or  twice  a  week  she  was  aired  with  fires  ;  and  when  this  could  not  be  diso, 
■he  was  smoked  with  gunpowder,  mixed  with  vinegar  or  water.  I  had  also,  frequently, 
a  tire  made  in  an  iron  pot  at  the  bottom  of  the  well,  which  was  of  great  use  in  purifying 
the  air  in  the  lower  part^  of  the  ship.  To  this,  and  to  cleanliness,  as  well  in  the  ship  as 
among  the  people,  too  great  attention  cannot  be  paid;  the  least  neglect  occasions  a 
putrid  and  disagreeable  smell  below,  which  nothing  but  fires  will  remove. 

"Proper  attention  was  paid  to  the  ship's  coppers,  so  that  they  were  kept  constantly 
•lean. 

''The  fat  which  boiled  out  of  the  salt  beef  and  pork,  I  never  suffered  to  be  given  to  the 
pmple ;  being  of  opinion  that  V,  promotes  liie  scurvy. 

"  1  -»as  careful  to  take  in  water  wherever  it  was  to  be  got,  even  though  we  did  not  want 


t4 


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202 


ACCOUNT   OF   CAPTAIN   COOK    BETWEEN 


medal.  Captaiu  Cook  was  not  himself  present,  to  hear  the 
discourse  of  the  picsident,  and  to  receive  the  honour  conferred 
upon  him.  Some  months  before  the  anniversary  of  St.  Andrew's 
day,  he  bad  sailed  on  his  last  eripcdition.  The  medal,  there- 
fore, was  delivered  into  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Cook,  whoso  satisfac- 
tion at  being  intrusted  with  so  voluuble  a  pledge  of  her  husband's 
y  'putation,  cannot  be  q  .,  ticruMl  Neither  can  it  be  doubted, 
but  that  the  captain,  bcT  re  bir  departure  from  England,  was 
fully  apprised  of  the  n^ark  jf  difciir.ct'oa  which  was  intended  for 
him  by  the  Royal  Society. 

Captain  Cook,  after  the  conclusion  of  his  second  voyage,  was 
called  upon  to  appear  in  the  world  in  the  character  of  an  author. 
In  the  account  that  was  published,  by  authority,  of  his  former 
circumnavigation  of  the  globe,  as  well  as  of  those  which  had 
been  performed  by  the  Captains  Byron,  Carteret,  and  Wallis,  it 


It  Because  I  look  upon  fre^h  WB,teT  from  the  shore  to  be  more  wholesome,  than  that 
which  has  been  kept  some  time  on  board  a  ship.  Of  this  essential  article  we  were  never 
at  an  allowitnce,  but  had  always  plenty  for  every  necessary  purpose.  Navigators  in 
general  cannot,  indeed,  expect,  nor  would  they  wish  to  meet  with  such  advantages,  in 
this  respect,  as  fell  to  my  lot.  The  nature  of  our  voyage  carried  ur  into  very  high  lati- 
tudes. But  the  hardships  and  dangers  Inseparable  from  thai  situation,  were  in  some 
degree  compensated  by  the  singular  felicity  we  enjoyed,  of  extracting  inexhaustible 
supplies  of  fresh  water  nroni  an  ocean  strewed  with  ice. 

"  We  came  to  few  places,  wheie  cither  'J^ie  art  of  man,  or  the  bo;inty  of  nature,  had  not 
provided  some  sort  of  refreshment  or  other,  either  in  the  animal  ot  vegetable  way.  It 
was  my  first  care  to  procure  whatever  of  any  kind  could  be  met  with,  by  every  means  in 
my  power ;  and  to  oMIge  our  people  to  make  use  thereof,  both  by  my  example  and 
authority;  but  the  benefits  arising  from  reft-eshments  of  any  kind  soon  became  so 
obvious,  that  I  had  little  occasion  to  recommend  the  one,  or  to  exert  the  other." 

In  a  letter  which  Captain  Cook  wrote  to  Sir  John  Pringle,  Just  before  he  embarked  on 
his  last  voyage,  dated  Plymouth  Sound,  July  7, 1776,  he  expressed  himself  as  follows:  "I 
entirely  agree  with  you,  that  the  dearness  of  the  rob  of  lemons  and  of  oranges  will  hinder 
t-icm  (^om  being  furnished  in  large  quantities  But  I  do  not  think  this  so  necessary ;  for, 
thoiiRh  they  may  assist  other  things,  I  have  no  great  opinion  of  them  alone.  Nor  have  I 
a  higher  opinion  of  vinegar.  My  people  had  it  very  sparingly  during  the  late  voyage,  and, 
towards  the  latter  part,  none  at  all ;  and  yet  we  experienced  no  ill  effect  from  the  want 
of  it.  The  custom  of  washing  the  inside  of  the  ship  with  vinegar,  I  seldom  observed; 
tliinking  that  lire  and  smoke  answered  the  purpose  much  better."— ^Sir  John  Prin(/l«U 
Hut  IfUcournet, 


HIS    SECOND    AND   THIRD    VOYAOK. 


263 


% 


HJfis  thought  requisite  to  procure  the  assistance  of  a  professed 
li'!  'ary  man,  whose  lusin  ^s  it  siiould  be  to  draw  up  a  narrative 
fr   a  the  several  j^^uruuls  of  these  commanders.     Accordingly 
Dr    Hawkesworth,  as  is  universally  known,  was  employed  for 
tb^  pur^  >8e.     In  the  present  case,  it  was  not  esteemed  necessary 
to  have  recourse  to  such  an  expedient.     Captain  Cook  was  justly 
regardeJ  as  suiBciently  qualified  to  relate  his  own  story.     His 
journal  only  required  to  be  divided  into  chapters,  and  perhaps 
be  amended  by  a  few  verbal  corrections.    It  is  not  speaking 
extravagantly  to  say,  that,  in  point  of  composition,  his  history 
of  his  voyage  reflects  upon  him  no  small  degree  of  credit.    ¥.■.;:)■ 
style  is  natural,  clear,  and  manly  ;  being  well  adapted  to  tbo 
subject  and  to  his  own  character  ;  and  it  is  possible,  that  f.  y  ^ 
o    more  studied  elegance  would  not  have  given  any  add.wOia- 
advantage  to  the  narration.     It  was  not  till  some  time  afiei 
Oaptain  Cook's  leaving  England  that  the  work  was  pab.     ■  u  ; 
but,  in  the  meanwhile,  the  superintendence  of  it  was  undertaken 
by  his  learned  and  valuable  friend.  Dr.  Douglas,  whose  late  pro- 
motion to  the  mitre  hath  afforded  pleasure  to  every  literary  man, 
of  every  denomination.     When  the  Voyage  appeared,  it  came 
recommended  by  the  accuracy  and  excellence  of  its  charts,  and 
by  a  great  variety  of  engravings,  from  the  curious  and  beautiful 
drawings  of  Mr.  Hodges.     This  work  was  followed  by  the  publi- 
cation of  the  original  astronomical  observations,  which  had  been 
made  by  Mr.  Wales  in  the  Resolution,  and  by  Mr.  Bayley  in  the 
Adventure.    It  was  at  the  expense  of  the  commissioners  of  long- 
titude  that  these  observations  were  made,  and  it  was  by  their 
order  that  they  were  printed.     The  book  of  Mr.  Wales  and  Mr. 
Bayley  displays,  in  the  strongest  light,  the  scientific  use  and 
value  of  Captain  Cook's  voyage. 

Some  of  the  circumstances  which  have  now  been  mentioned 
have  designedly  been  brought  forward  more  early  in  point  of 
time  than  should  otherwise  have  been  done,  in  order  to  preveut 
any  interrnptii)n  in  the  course  of  the  subsequent  narrative. 


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264 


ACa)UNT   OF   CAPTAIN    COOK    BETWEEN 


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Though  Captain  Cook  was  expected  to  sit  down  in  repose, 
after  his  toils  and  labours,  the  design  of  farther  discoveries  was 
not  laid  aside.  The  illusion,  indeed,  of  a  Terra  Australis  incog' 
nita,  to  any  purpose  of  commerce,  colonization,  and  ntility  had 
been  dispelled :  but  there  was  another  grand  question  which 
remained  to  be  determined  ;  and  that  was  the  practicability  of 
a  northern  passage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

It  had  long  been  a  fayourite  object  with  navigators,  and  par- 
ticularly with  the  English,  to  discover  a  shorter,  a  more  commo- 
dious, and  a  more  profitable  course  of  sailing  to  Japan  and  China, 
and,  indeed,  to  the  East  Indies  in  general,  than  by  making  the 
tedious  circuit  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  To  find  a  western 
passage  round  North  America,  had  been  attempted  by  several 
bold  adventurers,  from  Frobisher's  first  voyage,  in  15*16,  to  those 
of  James  and  of  Fox,  in  1631.  By  these  expeditions  a  large 
addition  was  made  to  the  knowledge  of  the  northern  extent  of 
America,  ai"'.  Hudson's  and  Baffin's  Bays  were  discovered.  But 
the  wished-for-passage,  on  that  side,  into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  was 
still  unattained.  Nor  were  the  various  attempts  of  our  country- 
men and  of  the  Dutch,  to  find  such  a  passage,  by  sailing  round 
the  north  of  Asia,  in  an  eastern  direction,  attended  with  better 
success.  Wood's  failure,  in  1676,  appears  to  have  concluded  the 
long  list  of  unfortunate  expeditions  in  that  country.  The  disco- 
very, if  not  absolutely  despaired  of,  had  been  unsuccessful  in  such 
a  number  of  instances,  that  it  ceased,  for  many  years,  to  be  an 
object  of  pursuit. 

The  question  was  again  revived  in  the  present  century.  Mr. 
Dobbs,  a  warm  advocate  for  the  probability  of  a  northwest  pas- 
age  through  Hudson's  Bay,  once  more  recalled  the  attention  of 
this  country  to  that  undertaking.  In  consequence  of  the  spirit 
by  him  excited,  Captain  Middleton  was  sent  out  by  government 
in  1141,  and  Captains  Smith  and  More,  in  1746.  But,  though 
an  act  of  parliament  had  been  passed,  which  secured  a  reward 


HIS   BKOOND   AND   THIRD    VOYAOR. 


265 


of  twenty  thousand  pounds  to  the  discovery  of  a  passage,  the 
accomplishment  of  this  favourite  object  continued  at  as  great  a 
distance  as  ever. 

To  ascertain  a  matter  of  such  importance  and  magnitude 
in  navigation,  was  reserved  to  be  another  glory  of  his  pre- 
sent majesty's  reign.  The  idea  was  peculiarly  suited  to  thc« 
enlightened  mind  of  the  noble  lord  at  the  head  of  the  admiralty, 
and  he  adopted  it  with  ardour.  Preparatory  to  the  execution  of 
the  design^  Lord  Mulgrave  sailed  with  two  ships  to  determine 
how  far  navigation  was  practicable  towards  the  north  pole.  In 
this  expedition,  his  lordship  met  with  the  same  insuperable  diffi- 
culties which  had  been  experienced  by  former  voyagers.  Never- 
theless, the  expectation  of  opening  a  <^  >mmunication  between  the 
Pacific  and  Atlantic  Oceans,  by  a  northerly  course,  was  not 
abaudoned  ;  and  it  was  resolved  that  a  voyage  should  be  under- 
taken for  that  purpose. 

For  the  conduct  ot  an  enterprise,  the  operations  of  which  were 
Intended  to  be  so  new,  so  extensive,  and  so  various,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  great  ability,  skill,  and  experience  were  indispensably 
necessary.  That  Captain  Cook  was  of  all  men  the  best  qualified 
for  carrying  it  into  execution,  was  a  matter  that  could  not  be 
called  in  question.  But  however  ardently  it  might  be  wished  that 
he  would  take  upon  him  the  command  of  the  service,  no  one 
(not  even  his  friend  and  patron.  Lord  Sandwich  himself)  pre- 
sumed to  solicit  him  upon  the  subject.  The  benefits  he  had 
already  conferred  on  science  and  navigation,  and  the  labours  and 
dangers  he  had  gone  through,  were  so  many  and  great,  that  it 
was  not  deemed  reasonable  to  ask  hiin'to  engage  in  fresh  perils. 
At  the  same  time,  nothing  could  be  more  natural,  than  to  con- 
sult him  upon  everything  relative  to  the  business  ;  and  his  advi'je 
was  particularly  requested  with  regard  to  the  properest  person 
for  conducting  the  voyage.  To  determine  this  point,  the  cap- 
tain, Sii  Hugh  Palliser,  and  Mr.  Stephens  were  invited  to  Lord 

12 


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206 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN   COOK   BEIWKEW 


U   \ 


I! 


L 


Sandwich's  to  dinner.  Here,  l)es'Jc8  taking  into  consideration 
what  officer  should  be  rcconunended  to  his  majesty  for  aceom* 
plishing  the  purposes  in  view,  many  things  were  said  concerning 
the  nature  of  the  design.  Its  grandeur  and  dignity,  the  con- 
sequences of  it  to  navigation  and  science,  and  tlie  completion  it 
would  give  to  the  whole  system  of  discoveries,  were  enlarged  upon 
in  a  course  of  the  conversation.  Captain  Cook  was  so  fired  with 
the  contemplation  and  representations  of  the  object,  that  he 
started  up,  and  declared  that  he  himself  wonld  undertake  the 
direction  of  the  enterprise.  It  is  easy  to  suppose,  with  what 
pleasure  the  noble  lord  and  the  other  gentlemen  received  a  pro- 
posal, which  was  so  agreeable  to  their  secret  wishes,  and  which 
they  thought  of  the  highest  importance  towards  attaining  the 
ends  of  the  voyage.  No  time  was  lost  by  the  Earl  of  Sandwich, 
in  laying  the  matter  before  the  king  ;  and  Captain  Cook  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  expedition  on  the  10th  of 
February,  1176.  At  the  same  time  it  was  agreed,  that  on  his 
return  to  England,  he  should  be  restored  to  his  situation  at 
Greenwich  ;  and,  if  no  vacancy  occurred  during  the  interval,  the 
officer  who  succeeded  him  was  to  resign  in  his  favour. 

The  command  and  the  direction  of  the  enterprise  being  thus 
happily  settled,  it  l)ecame  an  object  of  great  importance  to 
determine  what  might  be  the  best  course  that  could  be  given  to 
the  voyage.  All  former  navigators  round  the  g)obe  bad  return- 
ed to  Europe  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  But  to  Captain  Cook 
the  arduous  task  was  now  assigned,  of  attempting  it  by  reaching 
the  high  northern  latitudes  between  Asia  and  America  ;  and  the 
adoption  of  this  resolution  was,  I  believe,  the  result  of  his  own 
reflections  upon  the  subject.  The  usual  plan,  therefore,  of  dis- 
covery was  reversed  ;  so  that,  instead  of  a  passage  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  one  from  the  latter  to  the  former  was  to 
be  tried.  Whatever  openings  or  inlets  there  might  be  on  the 
cast  side  of  America,  that  lie  in  a  direction  which  could  afford 


HIS   SECOND   AND   THIKD   VOYAGE. 


267 


any  hopes  of  passage,  it  was  wisely  foreseen,  that  the  ultimate 
success  of  the  expedition  would  depend  upon  there  being  an  open 
sea  between  the  west  side  of  that  continent  and  the  extremities 
of  Asia.  Accordingly,  Captain  Cook  was  ordered  to  proceed 
into  the  Pacific  Ocean,  through  the  chain  of  the  new  islands 
which  had  been  visited  by  him  in  the  southern  tropic.  After 
having  crossed  the  equator  into  the  northern  parts  of  that  ocean, 
be  was  then  to  hold  such  a  course  as  might  probably  fix  many 
interesting  points  in  geography,  and  produce  intermediate  dis> 
coveries,  in  his  progress  northward  to  the  principal  scene  of  his 
operations.  With  regard  to  his  grand  object,  it  was  determined, 
for  the  wisest  reasons,  and  after  the  most  mature  deliberation 
and  inquiry,  tl^at  upon  his  arrival  on  the  coast  of  New  Albion, 
he  should  proceed  northward  as  far  as  the  latitude  of  65°,  and  not 
lose  any  time  in  exploring  rivers  or  inlets,  or  upon  any  other 
account,  until  he  had  gotten  into  that  latitude. 

To  give  every  possible  encouragement  to  the  prosecution  of 
the  great  design  in  view,  the  motives  of  interest  were  added  to 
the  obligations  of  duty.  In  the  act  of  parliament  which  passed 
in  1745,  the  reward  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  had  only  been 
held  out  to  the  ships  belonging  to  any  of  his  majesty's  subjects, 
while  his  majesty's  own  ships  were  excluded.  Another,  and  more 
capital  defect  of  the  act  was,  that  it  confined  the  reward  to  such 
ships  alone  as  should  discover  a  passage  -through  Hudson's  Bay. 
By  a  new  law,  which  passed  in  1776,  both  these  deficiencies  were 
effectually  remedied.  It  was  now  enacted,  "  That  if  any  ship 
belonging  to  any  of  his  majesty's  subjects,  or  to  his  majesty,  shall 
find  out,  and  sail  ti  -ough  any  passage  by  sea,  between  the  Atlan- 
tic and  Pacific  Oceans,  in  any  direction,  or  parallel  of  the  north- 
ern hemisphere,  to  tht  northward  of  the  52°  of  northern  lati- 
tude, the  owners  of  such  ships,  if  belonging  to  any  of  his 
majesty's  subjects,  or  the  comTnander,  ojicers,  and  seamen,  of  i^tuch 
skip  belonging  to  his  majesty,  shall  receive,  as  a  reward  for  sneb 
discovery,  the  snm  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  " 


% 


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jS      .       -J;! 


268 


ACCOUNT  OF   CAPTAIN   COOK   BETWEEN 


That  everything  might  be  done  which  could  facilitate  the  sac* 
cess  of  the  grand  expedition,  Lieutenant  Pickersgill  was  sent  out 
in  1176,  with  dlRPCtions  to  explore  ths  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay ; 
and  in  the  next  year,  Lieutenant  Young  was  commisslonod  not 
only  to  examine  the  western  parts  of  that  bay,  but  to  endea- 
Your  to  find  a  passage  on  that  side,  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  Nothing  was  performed  by  either  of 
these  gentlemen  that  promoted  the  purposes  of  Captain  Cook's 
▼oyagvU. 

Two  vessels  were  fixed  upon  by  government  for  the  intended 
service  ;  the  Resolution  and  the  Discovery.  The  command  of 
the  former  was  given  to  Captain  Cook,  and  of  the  other  to 
Captain  Clerke.  To  the  Resolution  was  assigned  the  same  com- 
plement of  officers  and  men  which  she  had  during  her  preceding 
voyage  ;  and  the  onl^  difference  iu  the  establishment  of  the 
Discovery  from  that  of  the  Adventure,  was  in  the  single  instonce 
of  her  having  no  marine  officer  on  board. 

From  the  time  of  the  two  ships  being  put  into  commission, 
the  greatest  degree  of  attention  and  zeal  was  exerted  by  the 
Earl  of  Sandwich,  and  the  rest  of  the  board  of  admiralty,  to 
have  them  equipped  in  the  most  complete  manner.  Both  the 
vessels  were  supplied  with  as  much  of  every  necessary  article 
as  could  conveniently  be  sto-^ed,  and  with  the  best  of  each  kind 
that  could  be  procured.  Whatever,  likewise,  the  experience  of 
the  former  voyages  had  shown  to  be  of  any  utility  in  preserving 
the  health  of  the  seamen,  was  provided  in  a  large  abundance. 
That  some  permanent  beneft  might  be  conveyed  to  the  inhabit/- 
ants  of  Otaheite,  and  of  the  other  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
whom  our  navigators  might  happen  to  visit,  it  was  graciously 
•jommanded  by  his  majesty,  that  an  assortment  of  useful  animals 
should  be  carried  out  to  those  couutries.  Accordingly,  a  ball, 
two  cows  with  their  calves,  and  seveial  sheep,  with  hay  and 
corn  for  their  subsistence,  were  taken  un  board  ;  and  it  was  in 


m 


HI8   6KC0ND   AND  THIRD  VOTAGE. 


269 


tended  to  add  other  serviceable  animals  to  these  when  Captain 
Cook  should  arrive  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  With  the  same 
benevolent  purposes,  the  captain  was  furnished  with  a  snflBcient 
quantity  of  such  of  our  European  garden  seeds,  bn  could  not 
fail  of  being  a  valuable  present  to  the  newly  dii  jovered  islands, 
by  adding  fresh  supplies  of  food  to  their  own  vegetable  produc- 
tions. By  order  of  the  board  of  admiralty,  many  articles  be- 
sides were  delivered  to  our  commander,  which  were  calculated, 
in  various  ways,  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  natives  of  the 
other  hemisphere.  Still  farther  to  promote  a  friendly  intercourse 
with  them,  and  to  cai  ;y  on  a  traffic  that  might  be  profitable  on 
both  sides,  an  ample  assortment  was  provided  of  iron  tools  and 
trinkets.  An  attei  tion  no  less  humane  was  extended  to  the 
wants  of  our  own  people.  Some  additional  clotlKng,  adapt- 
ed to  cold  climates,  was  ordered  for  the  crews  of  the  two  ships, 
and  nothing  was  denied  to  our  navigators,  that  could  be  sup- 
posed to  be  in  the  least  conducive  to  their  health,  or  even  to 
their  convenience. 

It  was  not  to  these  things  only,  that  the  extraordinary  care  of 
Lord  Sandwich  and  of  the  other  gentlemen  at  the  head  of  the 
naval  department,  was  confined.  They  were  equally  solicitous 
to  afford  ^very  assistance  that  was  calculated  to  render  the  ex- 
pedition of  public  utility.  Several  astronomical  and  nautical 
instruments  were  intrusted,  by  the  board  of  longitude,  to  Cap- 
tain Cook,  and  Mr.  King  his  second  lieutenant ;  who  had  under- 
taken to  make  the  necessary  observations,  during  the  voyage, 
for  the  improvement  of  astronomy  and  navigation.  It  was 
originally  intended  that  a  professed  cbservatcr  should  be  se-iit 
out  in  the  Resolution  ;  but  the  scientific  abilities  of  the  captain 
and  his  lieutenant  rendered  the  appointment  of  such  a  per- 
son absolutely  unnecessary.  The  case  was  somewhat  dif- 
ferent with  regard  to  the  Discovery.  Mr.  William  Bayley,  who 
had  already  given  satisfactory  proofs  of  his  skill  and  diligence 


:>;l 


i-iJ 


;ltj 


270 


ACCOUNT  OF  CAPTAIN   COOK  BETWEEN 


as  an  observator,  while  he  was  employed  in  Captain  Farneanx's 
ship,  daring  the  late  voyage,  was  engaged  a  second  time,  in  that 
capacity,  and  appointed  to  sail  on  board  Captain  Clerke's  ves- 
sel. The  department  of  natural  history  was  assigned  to  Mr. 
Anderson,  the  surgeon  of  the  Resolution,  who  was  as  willing,  as 
he  was  well  qualified,  to  describe  everything  in  that  branch  of 
science  which  should  occur  worthy  of  notice.  From  the  remarks 
of  this  gentleman.  Captain  Cook  had  derived  considerable  assis- 
tance in  his  last  navigation  ;  especially  with  regard  to  the  very 
copious  vocabulary  of  the  language  of  Otaheite,  and  the  com- 
parative specimen  of  the  languages  of  the  other  islands  which  had 
then  been  visited.  There  were  several  young  men  among  our 
commander's  sea  officers,  who,  under  his  direction,  could  be  use- 
fully employed  in  constructing  charts,  in  taking  views  of  the 
coasts  and  headlands  near  which  our  voyagers  might  pass,  and 
in  drawing  plans  of  the  bays  and  harbours  in  which  they  should 
anchor.  Without  a  constant  attention  to  this  object,  the  cap- 
tain was  sensible,  that  his  discoveries  could  not  be  rendered  pro- 
fitable to  future  navigators.  That  he  might  go  out  with  every 
help,  which  could  serve  to  make  the  result  of  the  voyage  enter- 
taining to  the  generality  of  readers,  as  well  as  instructive  to  the 
sailor  and  the  scholar,  Mr.  Webber  was  fixed  upon,  and  engaged 
to  embark  in  the  Resolution,  for  the  express  purpose  of  supply- 
ing the  unavoidable  imperfections  of  written  accounts,  by  ena- 
bling our  people  to  preserve  and  to  bring  home  such  drawings 
of  the  most  memorable  scenes  of  their  transactions,  as  could 
only  be  executed  by  a  professed  and  skilful  artist. 

As  the  last  mark  of  the  extraordinary  attention  which 
the  Earl  of  Sandwich,  Sir  Hugh  Palliser,  and  others  of  tlie 
board  of  admiralty  had  uniformly  shov/n  to  the  preparations 
lor  the  expedition,  they  went  down  to  Long  Reach,  and  paid  a 
'•'sit  to  the  ships,  on  the  8th  of  June  to  examine  whether  every 
r  ing  was  completed  conformably  to  their  intentions  and  orders 


HIS   SECOND   AND  THIBL'  TOTAOE. 


271 


and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  who  were  to  embark  in  the  i  dyage. 
His  lordship  and  the  rest  of  the  admiralty  board,  together  with 
several  noblemen  and  gentlemen  of  their  acquaintance,  honoured 
Captain  Cook  on  that  day  with  their  company  at  dinner.  Both 
upon  their  coming  on  board,  and  their  going  ashore,  they  were 
saluted  with  seventeen  guns,  and  with  three  cheers. 

As  the  ships  were  to  touch  at  Otaheite  and  the  Society  Islands, 
it  had  been  determined  not  to  omit  the  only  opportunity  which 
might  ever  offer  of  carrying  Omai  back  to  his  native  country.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  left  London,  on  the  24th  of  June,  in  company 
with  Captain  Cook  ;  and  it  was  with  a  mixture  of  regret  and 
satisfaction  that  he  took  his  departure.  When  England,  and 
those  who,  during  his  stay  had  honoured  him  with  their  pro- 
tection or  friendship  were  spoken  of,  his  spirits  were  sensibly  af- 
fected, and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  he  could  refrain  from  tears, 
But  his  eyes  began  to  sparkle  with  joy,  as  soon  as  ever  the  con- 
versation was  turned  to  his  own  islands.  The  good  treatment  he 
received  in  England  had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  his  mind  ; 
and  he  entertained  the  highest  ideas  of  the  country  and  of  the 
people.  Nevertheless,  the  pleasing  prospect  he  now  had  before  him 
of  returning  home,  loaded  with  what,  he  well  knew,  would  there 
be  esteemed  invaluable  treasures,  and  the  flattering  hope,  which 
the  possession  of  these  afforded  him,  of  attaining  to  a  distin- 
guished superiority  among  his  countrymen,  were  considerations 
which  operated,  by  degrees,  to  suppress  every  uneasy  sensation. 
By  the  time  he  had  gotten  on  board  the  ship,  he  appeared  to  be 
quite  happy. 

His  majesty  had  furnished  Omai  with  an  ample  provision  of 
every  article  which  our  English  navigators,  during  their  former 
intercourse  with  Otaheite  and  the  Society  Islands,  had  observed 
to  be  in  any  estimation  there,  either  as  useful  or  ornamental. 
Many  presents,  likewise,  of  the  same  nature,  had  been  made  him 
by  Juord  Sandwich,  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  several  other  gentle- 


I  >! 
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272 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


men  and  ladies  of  his  acquaintance.  In  short,  both  during  his 
residence  in  England,  and  at  his  departure  from  it,  no  method 
had  been  neglected,  which  conld  be  calculated  to  render  him  the 
instrument  of  conveying  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands  of  the 
^Pacific  Ocean,  the  most  exalted  ideas  of  the  greatness  and  gen- 
erosity of  the  British  nation. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

NARRATIVE    OF   CAPTAIN   COOK's  VOrAGE   TO   THE    PACIFIC    OCEAN,  TO 

I 

THE    PERIOD    OF   HIS   DEATH. 

Every  preparation  for  the  voyage  being  completed,  Captain 
Cook  received  an  order  to  proceed  to  Plymouth,  and  to  take  the 
Discovery  under  hia  command.  Having,  accordingly,  given  the 
proper  directions  to  Captain  Clerke,  he  sailed  from  the  Nore  to 
the  Downs,  on  the  ^th  of  June.  On  the  30th  of  the  same 
month,  he  anchored  in  Plymouth  Sound,  where  the  Discovery 
was  already  arrived.  It  was  the  8th  day  of  July  before  our 
commander  received  his  instructions  for  the  voyage  ;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  he  was  ordered  t*>  proceed  with  the  Resolution  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Captain  Clerke,  who  was  detained  in  Lon- 
don, by  some  unavoidable  circumstances,  was  to  follow  as  soon 
as  he  should  join  his  ship. 

'  In  the  evening  of  the  12th,  Captain  Cook  stood  out  of  Ply- 
mouth Sound,  anH  pursued  his  course  down  the  channel.  It  was 
ve^y  earlj'  that  he  began  his  judicious  operations  for  preserving 
tiit;  hoaU')  of  his  crew  ;  for  on  17 th,  the  ship  was  smoked  be- 
tween I  ii<s  wl'  i  gunpowder,  and  the  spare  sails  wf-re  wf  11  aired. 
On  ihf  H'^*^,  tb?  moon  beinr:  totally  eclipsed,  the  captain  ob- 


THIRC    VOYAGE. 


273 


seryed  it  with  a  night  telescope.  He  had  not,  on  this  occasion, 
an  opportunity  of  making  many  observations  The  reason  was, 
that  the  moon  was  hidden  behind  the  clouds  the  greater  part  of 
the  time  ;  and  this  was  partic^^larly  the  case,  when  the  begin* 
ning  and  the  end  of  total  darkness,  and  the  end  of  the  eclipse, 
happened. 

It  being  found,  that  there  were  not  hay  and  corn  suflBcient  for 
the  subsistence  of  the  stock  of  animals  on  board,  till  the  arrival 
of  our  people  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Captain  Cook  deter- 
mined to  touch  at  T(?neriffe.  This  island  he  thought  better 
adapted  to  the  purposes  of  procuring  these  articles,  and  other 
refreshments,  than  Madeira.  Or*  the  1st  of  Augu::t,  he  anchored 
in  the  road  of  Santa  Cruz,  and  immediately  dispatched  an  ofiBcer 
to  the  governor,  who,  with  the  utmost  politeness,  granted  every- 
thing which  our  commander  requested. 

Were  a  judgment  to  be  formed  from  the  appearance  of  the 
country  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Santa  Cruz,  it  might  be  conclud- 
ed that  Teneriffe  is  so  barren  a  spot  as  to  be  insuflBcient  for  the 
maintenance  even  of  its  own  inhabitants.  It  was  proved,  how- 
ever, by  the  ample  su[)plies  which  our  navigators  received,  that 
the  islanders  had  enough  to  spare  for  visitors.  The  necessary 
articles  of  refreshment  were  procured  at  such  moderate  prices, 
as  to  confirm  Captain  Cook  in  his  opinion  that  Teneriffe  is  . 
more  eligible  place  than  Made  ira  for  ships  to  touch  at  whi;  . 
are  bound  on  long  voyages.  Indeed,  the  wine  of  the  latl  r 
island  is  far  superior  to  that  of  the  former  ;  but  then  it  can  only 
be  purchased  by  a  sum  of  money  proportionably  larger. 

During  the  short  stay  which  the  captain  made  at  Tener '^c,  he 
continued  with  great  assiduity  his  astronomical  observu.ous  ; 
and  Mr.  Anderson  has  not  a  little  contributed  to  our  farther 
knowledge  of  the  country,  by  his  remarks  on  the  general  st.ite, 
its  natural  appearances,  its  productions,  and  its  inhabitants.  He 
learned,  from  a  sensible  and  well-informed  gentleman,  who  resided 

12* 


274 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


in  the  island,  that  a  shrub  is  common  there  which  agrees  exact* 
ly  with  the  description  given  by  Tournefort  and  Linnaeus  of  the 
tea  shrub,  as  growing  in  China  and  Japan.  It  is  reckoned  a  weed, 
and  every  year  is  rooted  out  in  large  quantities  from  the  vine- 
yards. The  Spaniards,  however,  sometimes  use  it  as  tea,  and 
ascribe  to  it  all  the  qualities  of  that  which  is  imported  from 
China.  They  give  it  also  the  name  of  tea,  and  say  that  it  was 
found  in  the  country  when  the  islands  were  first  discovered. 
Another  botanical  curiosity  is  called  the  im.'pre.gnated  lemon; 
which  is  a  perfect  and  distinct  lemon  enclosed  within  another, 
and  differing  from  ^he  outer  one  only  in  being  a  little  more  glob- 
ular. 

The  air  and  climate  of  Teneriffe,  are,  in  general,  remarkably 
healthful,  and  particularly  adapted  to  give  relief  in  pulmonary 
complaints.  This  the  gentleman  before  mentioned  endeavoured  to 
account  for,  from  its  being  always  in  a  person's  power  to  procure 
a  different  temperature  of  the  air,  by  residing  at  different  heights 
in  the  island.  He  expressed,  therefore,  hia  surprise  that  the 
ph}  sicians  of  England  should  never  have  thought  of  sending  their 
consumptive  patients  to  Teneriffe,  instead  of  Nice  or  Lisbon. 

Although  it  is  not  understood  that  there  is  any  great  similar- 
ity betv  en  the  manners  of  the  English  and  those  of  the  Span- 
iards, it  was  observable,  that  the  difference  between  them  was 
very  little  perceived  by  Omai.  He  only  said,  that  the  Spaniards 
did  not  appear  to  be  so  friendly  as  the  English  ;  and  that,  in 
their  persons,  they  approached  to  some  resemblance  of  his  own 
countrymen. 

On  the  4th,  Captain  Cook  sailed  from  Teneriffe,  and  proceeded 
on  his  voyage.  Such  was  his  attention,  both  to  the  discipline 
and  the  health  of  his  company,  that  twice  in  the  space  of  five 
d?ys,  he  exercised  them  at  great  guns  acd  small  arms,  and 
cleared  and  smoked  the  ship  below  decks.  On  the  evening  of 
the  10th,  when  the  Resolution  was  at  a  small  distance  from  ttie 


r 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


276 


Island  of  Bona  vista,  she  ran  so  close  npon  a  number  of  sunken 
rocks,  that  she  3id  but  just  weather  the  breakers.  The  situation 
of  our  voyagers,  for  a  few  minutes,  was  very  alarming.  In  this 
situation  the  captain,  with  the  intrepid  coolness  which  distin- 
guished his  character,  did  not  choose  to  sound,  as  that,  without 
any  possibility  of  lessening,  might  have  heightened  the  danger. 

While  our  commander  was  near  the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands, 
he  had  an  oppnrtunity  of  correcting  an  assertion  of  Mr.  Nichel- 
Bon  with  regard  to  the  manner  of  sailing  by  those  islands,  which, 
if  implicitly  trusted  to,  might  prove  of  dangerous  consequence. 
On  the  13th,  our  navigators  arrived  before  Port  Praya,  in  the 
Island  of  St.  Jago  :  but  as  the  Discovery  was  not  there,  and  lit- 
tle water  had  been  expended  in  the  passage  from  Teneri£fe, 
Captain  Cook  did  not  think  proper  to  go  in,  but  stood  to  the 
southward. 

In  the  course  of  the  voyage,  between  the  latitudes  of  iV  and 
1°  north,  the  weather  was  generally  dark  and  gloomy.  The 
rains  were  frequent,  and  accompanied  with  that  close  and  sultry 
weather  which  too  often  brings  on  sickness  in  this  passage.  At 
such  a  time  the  worst  consequences  are  to  be  apprehended  ;  and 
commanders  of  ships  cannot  be  too  much  on  their  guard.  It  is 
necessary  for  them  to  purify  the  air  between  decks  with  fires 
and  smoke,  and  to  oblige  their  people  to  dry  their  clothes  at 
every  opportuiaty.  The  constant  observance  of  these  precau- 
tions on  board  the  Resolution  was  attended  with  such  success, 
that  the  captain  had  now  fewer  sick  men  thun  on  either  of  his 
former  voyages.  This  was  the  more  remarkable,  as,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  seams  of  the  vessel  having  opened  so  wide  as  to 
admit  the  rain  when  it  fell,  there  was  scarcely  a  man  who  could 
lie  dry  in  his  bed  ;  and  the  oflBcers  in  the  gun-room  were  all 
driven  out  of  their  cabins  by  the  water  that  caiue  through  the 
sides.  When  settled  weather  returned,  the  caulkers  were  era- 
jloyed  in  repairing  these  defects,  by  caulking  the  decks  and  the 


',f 


*i 


Mi 


!r:il 


I  .'il 


276 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


Eli 


inside  weather-worlis  of  the  ship  ;  for  the  humanity  of  our  com- 
mander would  not  trust  the  workmen  over  the  sides,  while  the 
Kesolutiun  was  at  sea. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  our  navigators  crossed  the  equator. 
While,  on  the  8th,  Captain  Cook  was  near  the  eastern  coast  of 
Brazil,  he  was  at  considerable  pains  to  settle  its  longitude, 
which,  till  some  better  astronomical  observations  are  made  on 
shore  in  that  country,  he  concluded  to  be  thirty-five  degrees 
and  a  half,  or  thirty-six  degrees  west,  at  most. 

As  our  people  proceeded  on  their  voyage,  they  frequently  saw, 
in  the  night,  those  luminous  marine  animals,  which  have  formerly 
been  mentioned  and  described.  Some  of  them  appeared  to  be 
considerably  larger  than  any  which  the  captain  had  met  with 
before  ;  and  sometimes  they  were  so  numerous,  that  hundreds  of 
thera  were  visible  at  the  same  moment. 

On  the  18th  of  October,  the  Resolution  came  to  an  anchor  in 
Table  Bay,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  :  and  the  usual  compli- 
ments having  been  paid  to  Baron  Plettenberg,  the  governor. 
Captain  Cqok  immediately  applied  himself  to  his  customary  opera- 
tions. Nothin;:^  remarkable  occurred  till  the  evening  of  the  31st, 
when  a  tempest  irose  from  the  southeast,  which  lasted  three 
days,  and  which  was  so  violent  that  the  Resoiution  was  the  only 
ship  in  the  bay  that  rode  out  the  gale  without  dragging  her 
anchors.  The  eflFects  of  the  storm  were  sensibly  felt  by  our 
people  on  shore  ;  for  their  tents  and  observatory  were  torn  to 
pieces,  and  their  astronomical  quadrant  narrowly  escaped  irre- 
parable damage.  On  tKe  3d  of  November,  the  tempest  ceased, 
and  the  next  day  the  English  were  enabled  to  resume  their 
different  employments. 

It  was  not  till  the  10th  of  the  mon''i,  that  Captain  Cook  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  Discovery  arrive  in  the  bay  and 
effect  her  junction  with  the  Resolution.  She  had  sailed  from 
England  on  the  1st  of  August,  and  would  have  reached  the  Cape 


THIRD    VOYAOF. 


277 


of  Good  Hope  a  week  sooner,  if  she  had  not  been  driyeu  from 
the  coast  by  the  late  storm.  Every  assistance  wab  immediately 
given  to  put  her  into  a  proper  condition  for  proceeding  on  the 
voyage. 

While  the  necessary  preparations  for  the  future  navigation 
were  completing,  a  disaster  happened  with  regard  to  the  cattle 
which  had  been  carried  out  in  the  Resolution.  Tliey  had  been 
conveyed  on  shore  for  the  purpose  of  grazing.  The  bull,  and 
two  cows,  with  their  calves,  had  been  sent  to  graze  along  with 
some  other  cattle  ;  but  Captain  Cook  was  advised  to  keep  the 
sheep,  which  were  sixteen  in  number,  close  to  the  tents,  where 
they  were  penned  up  every  evening.  During  the  night  preced- 
ing the  14th,  some  dogs  having  gotten  in  among  them,  forced 
them  out  of  the  pen,  killed  four,  and  dispersed  the  rest.  Six  of 
them  were^recovered  the  next  day  ;  but  the  two  rams,  and  two 
of  the  finefit  ewes  in  the  whole  flock,  were  amongst  those  which 
were  missing.  Baron  Plettenberg  being  at  this  time  in  the 
country,  our  commander  applied  to  Mr.  Hemraey,  the  lieutenant- 
governor,  and  to  the  fiscal,  for  redress  ;  and  both  thes?  gentle- 
men promised  to  use  their  endeavours  for  the  recovery  of  the 
lost  sheep  It  is  the  boast  of  the  Dutch,  that  tl:e  police  at  the 
Cape  is  so  carefully  executed,  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  for  a 
slave,  with  all  his  cunning  and  knowledge  of  the  country,  to 
effectuate  his  escape.  Nevertheless,  Captain  Cook's  sheep 
evaded  all  the  vigilance  of  the  fiscal's  officers  and  people.  At 
length  after  much  trouble  and  expense,  by  employing  some  of  the 
meanest  and  lowest  scoundrels  in  the  place,  he  recovered  all  but 
the  two  ewes,  of  which  he  never  could  hear  the  least  tidings. 
The  character  given  of  the  fellows  to  wliom  the  captain  was 
obliged  to  have  recourse,  by  the  person  who  recommended  their 
being  applied  to,  was,  that  for  a  ducaton  they  would  cut  their 
master's  throat,  burn  the  house  over  his  head,  and  !)ury  hir;  and 
the  whole  family  in  the  ashef . 


ItiK 


Mh-- 


mi 


278 


APTAIN   COOK  8 


iil 


During  the  stay  of  our  voyagers  at  the  Cape,  some  of  the  offi- 
cers, accoini>anicd  by  Mr.  Anderson,  made  a  short  excursion  into 
the  neighbouring  country.  This  gentlemen,  as  usual,  was  very 
diligent  in  recording  everything  which  appeared  to  him  worthy 
of  observation.  His  remarks,  however,  in  the  present  case,  will 
be  deemed  of  little  consequence,  compared  with  the  full,  accu- 
rate, and  curious  account  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  with  which 
Dr.  Sparrmau  hath  lately  favoured  the  literary  world. 

With  respect  to  Captain  Cook,  besides  the  unavoidable  care 
which  lay  upon  him,  in  providing  his  ships  with  whatever  was 
requisite  for  the  commodious  and  successful  prosecution  of  the 
voyage,  his  attention  was  eminently  directed  to  scientific  objects. 
He  was  anxious  to  ascertain  the  currents,  the  variations  of  tho 
compass,  and  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  places  to  which 
he  came.  The  observations  which  lie  collected,  and  recorded  in 
his  journal,  while  he  was  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  will  be 
esteemed  of  the  greatest  importance  by  judicious  navigators. 

After  the  disaster  which  had  happened  to  the  sheep,  it  may 
well  be  supposed  that  our  commander  did  not  long  trust  on  shore 
those  which  remaiued.  Accordingly,  he  gave  orders  to  have 
them,  and  the  other  cattle,  conveyed  on  board  as  fast  as  possible. 
He  made  an  addition,  also,  to  the  original  stock,  by  the  pur- 
chase of  two  young  bulls,  two  heifers,  two  young  stallions,  two 
mares,  two  rams,  several  ewes  and  goats,  and  some  rabbits  and 
poultry.  All  those  animals  were  intended  for  New  Zealand, 
Otaheitc,  and  the  neighbouring  islands  ;  and  indeed,  for  any 
other  places,  in  the  course  of  the  voyage,  where  the  leaving  of 
any  of  them  might  be  of  service  to  posterity. 

In  the  supplies  which  were  provided  at  the  Cape,  Captain 
Cook  paid  a  particular  regard  to  l-he  nature  and  extent  of  his 
atidertaking.  As  it  was  impossible  to  tell  when  or  where  he 
might  meet  with  a  place  which  could  so  amply  contribute  to  his 
necessities,  he  thought  proper  to  lay  in  such  a  store  of  provisiona 


THIRD   VOYAOR. 


279 


for  both  ships,  as  would  be  sufficient  to  last  them  for  two  years 
aud  upwards. 

Our  cummauder,  having  given  a  copy  of  bis  instructions  to 
Captain  Gierke,  and  an  order  directing  him  how  to  prucued 
'in  case  of  a  separation,  weighed  from  Table  Bay  on  the  30lh  of 
November,  though  it  was  not  till  the  third  of  December  that  he 
got  clear  of  the  land.  On  the  sixth  the  ships  passed  through 
several  spots  of  water,  nearly  of  a  red  colour.  When  some  of 
this  was  taken  up,  it  was  found  to  contain  a  large  quantity  of 
small  animals  of  a  reddish  hue,  and  which  the  microscope  dis- 
covered to  resemble  a  crag-tish.  As  our  navigators  pursued 
their  course  to  the  southeast,  a  very  strong  gale,  which  they  had 
from  the  westward,  was  followed  by  a  mountainous  sea,  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  the  Kesolutiun  rolled  and  tumbled  so  much 
that  the  cattle  on  board  were  preserved  with  the  utmost  diffi- 
culty. Soon  after,  several  of  the  goats,  especially  the  males, 
together  with  some  sheep,  died,  notwithstanding  all  the  care  to 
prevent  it,  that  was  exercised  by  our  people.  This  misfortune 
was  chiefly  owing  to  the  coldness  of  the  weather,  which  now  be- 
gan to  be  felt  in  the  most  sensible  manner. 

On  the  12th  land  was  seen,  which,  upon  a  nearer  approach, 
was  found  to  consist  of  two  islands.  That  which  lies  most  to 
the  south,  and  is  the  largest,  was  judged  by  Captain  Cook  to  be 
about  fifteen  leagues  in  circuit.  The  northerly  one  is  about  nine 
leagues  in  circuit :  and  the  two  islands  are  at  the  distance  of  five 
leagues  from  each  otiier.  As  the  ships  passed  through  the  chan- 
nel between  thera,  our  voyagers  could  not  discover,  with  the 
assistance  of  their  best  glasses,  either  tree  or  shrub  on  either  of 
them.  They  seemed  to  have  a  rocky  and  bold  shore,  and  their 
surface  is  for  the  most  pan  composed  of  barren  mountains,  the 
summits,  and  sides  of  which  were  covered  with  snow.  These  two 
islands,  together  with  four  others  which  lie  from  nine  to  twelve 
degrees  of  longitude  more  to  the  east  and  nearly  in  the  same 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


280 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


latitude,  had  been  discovered  by  Captains  Marion  da  Fresne  and 
Crozet,  Frencli  navigators,  in  January,  1172,  on  their  passage, 
in  two  ships  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the  Philippine 
Islands.  As  no  names  had  been  assigned  to  them  in  a  chart  of 
the  Southern  Ocean,  which  Captain  Crozet  communicated  to 
Captain  Cook  in  17*15,  our  commander  distinguished  the  two 
larger  ones  by  calling  them  Prince  Edward's  Islands,  after  his 
majesty's  fourth  son.  To  the  other  four,  with  a  view  of  com- 
memorating the  discoverers,  he  gave  the  name  of  Marion's  and 
Crozet's  Islands. 

Though  it  was  now  the  middle  of  summer  in  this  hemisphere, 
the  weather  was  not  less  severe  than  what  is  generally  met  with 
in  England  in  the  very  depth  of  winter.  Instead,  however,  of 
being  discouraged  by  this  circumstance,  the  captain  shaped  his 
course  in  such  a  manner  as  to  pass  to  the  southward  of  Marion's 
and  Crozet's  Islands,  that  he  might  get  into  the  latitude  of 
land  which  had  been  discovered  by  M.  de  Kerguelen,  another 
French  navigator.  It  was  part  of  our  commander's  instructions 
to  examine  whether  a  good  harbour  might  not  here  be  found. 

As  our  voyagers,  on  the  24th,  were  steering  to  the  eastward, 
a  fog  clearing  up  a  little,  which  had  involved  them  for  some 
time,  and  which  had  rendered  their  navigation  both  tedious  and 
dangerous,  land  was  seen,  bearing  south-southeast.  Upon  a 
nearer  approach,  it  was  found  to  be  an  island  of  considerable 
height,  and  about  three  leagues  in  circuit.  Another  island,  of 
the  same  magnitude,  was  soon  after  discovered,  and  in  a  short 
space  a  third,  besides  some  smaller  ones.  At  times,  as  the  fog 
broke  away,  there  was  the  appearance  of  land  over  the  small 
islands,  and  Captain  Cook  entertained  thoughts  of  steering  for 
it,  by  running  in  between  them.  But,  on  drawing  nearer,  he 
found  that,  so  long  as  the  weather  contined  foggy,  this  would 
be  a  perilous  attempt.  For  if  there  should  be  no  passage,  or  if 
our  people  should  meet  with  any  auddeu  danger,  there  was  such 


TDIKD   VOTAOE. 


281 


a  prodigiDns  sea,  breaking  on  all  the  sLores  in  a  frigbtfal  surf, 
that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  vessels  to  be  gotten 
ofif.  At  the  same  time,  the  captain  saw  another  island  ;  and 
as  he  did  not  know  how  many  more  niiglit  succeed,  he  judged  it 
prudent  in  order  to  avoid  getting  entangled  among  unknowa 
lands  in  a  thick  fog,  to  wait  for  clearer  weather. 

The  island  last  mentioned  is  a  high  round  rock,  which  was 
named  Blighe's  Cap.     Our  commander  had  received  some  very 
slight  information  concerning  it  at  Teneriffe,  and  his  sagacity 
for  tracing  it  was  such,  as  immediately  to  determine,  that  it  was 
the  same  that  M.  de  Kerguelen  had  called  the  Isle  of  fiendez- 
vous.     His  reason  for  giving  it  that  name  is  not  very  apparent : 
for  nothing  can  rendezvous  upon  it  but  the  fowls  of  the  air,  it 
being  certainly  Inaccessible  to  every  other  animal.     The  weather 
beginning  to  clear  up.  Captain  Cook  steered  in  for  the  laud,  of 
which  a  faint  view  had  been  obtained  in  lue  Hjoiuing.     This  was 
Kerguelen's  Land.     No  sooner  had  our  navigators  gotten  oflf 
Cape  France!!'  than  they  observed  the  coast,  to  the  southward, 
to  be  much  indented  by  projecting  points  and  bays  ;  from  which 
circumstance  they  were  sure  of  finding  a  good  harbour.     Ac- 
cordingly, such  a  harbour  was  speedly  discovered,  in  which  the 
ships  came  to  anchor  on  the  25th,  being  Christmas  day. '    Upon 
landing,  our  commander  fonnd  the  shore  almost  covered  with 
penguins  and  other  birds,  and  with  seals.     The  latter,  which  were 
not  numerous,  having  been  unaccustomed   to  visitors,  were  so 
Insensible  of  fear,  that  as  many  as  were  wanted,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  use  of  their  fat  or  blubber,  were  killed  without  diffi- 
culty.    Fresh  water  was  so  plentiful,  that  every  gully  afforded 
a  large  stream  ;  but  not  a  single  tree  or  shrub,  or  tlie  least  sign 
of  it,  could  be  met  with,  and  but  very  little  herbage  of  any  sort. 
Before  Captain  Cook  returned  to  his  ship,  he  ascended  the  first 
ridge  of  rocks,  that  rise  in  a  kind  of  amphitheatre,  above  one 
another,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  a  view  of  the  country  ;  in  which, 


> '  M 


■  ■  ! 


■  f ' 


m 


282 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


hovfever,  he  was  disappointed  :  for,  previously  to  his  reaching 
the  top,  there  came  on  so  thick  a  fog,  that  he  could  scarcely 
find  his  way  down  again.  In  the  evening,  the  seine  was  hauled 
at  the  head  of  the  harbour,  but  only  half  a  dozen  small  fish  were 
caught.  As  no  better  success  attended  a  trial  which  was  made 
the  next  day  with  hook  and  line,  the  only  resource  for  fresh  pro- 
risions  was  in  birds,  the  store  of  which  was  inexhaustible. 

The  people  having  wrought  hard  for  two  days,  and  nearly 
completed  their  water,  the  captain  allowed  them  the  2'7th  as 
a  day  of  rest,  to  celebrate  Christmas.  Many  of  them,  in  con- 
sequence of  this  indulgence,  went  on  shore,  and  made  excursions 
in  different  directions,  into  the  country,  which  they  found  barren 
and  desolate  in  the  highest  degree.  One  of  them,  in  his  ramble, 
discovered,  and  brought  to  our  commander,  in  the  evening,  a 
quart  bottle,  fastened  with  some  wire  to  a  projecting  rock,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  harbour.  This  bottle  contained  a  piece  of 
parchment,  on  which  was  written  the  following  inscription  : 


LuDOvico  XV.   Galliabcm 

BKOB    BT  D.    DB  BOTNBS 

BBQI    A    SeCKETIS   AO    ReS 

MABITIHAS    ANNI3    1772  BT 

1778. 


It  was  cleai  from  this  inscription,  that  our  English  navigators 
were  not  the  first  who  had  been  in  the  place.  As  a  memorial  of 
our  people's  having  touched-  at  the  same  harbour.  Captain  Cook 
wrote  as  follows,  on  the  other  side  of  the  parchment : 


Naves  Resolution 

■T  Discovert 

DK  RrOE  MAGNiS  Britannje, 

Dboimbris,  1776. 


He  then  put  it  again  into  a  bottle,  together  with  a  silver  two 


THIED   VOYAGE. 


283 


penny  piece  of  11*12.  Having  covered  the  mouth  of  the  bottle 
with  a  leaden  cap,  he  placed  it  the  next  morning  in  a  pile  of 
stones  erected  for  the  purpose,  upon  a  little  eminence  on  the 
north  shore  of  the  harbour,  and  near  to  the  place  where  it  was 
first  found.  In  this  position,  it  cannot  escape  the  notice  of  any 
European,  whom  accident  or  design  may  bring  into  the  port. 
Here  the  captain  displayed  the  British  dag,  and  named  the  place 
Christmas  Harbour,  from  our  voyagers  having  arrived  in  it  on 
that  festival. 

After  our  commander  had  finished  the  business  of  the  inscrip- 
tion, he  went  in  his  boat  round  the  harbour,  to  examine  what 
the  shore  afforded.  His  more  particular  object  was  to  look  for 
drift-wood  ;  but  he  did  not  find  a  single  piece  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  the  place.  On  the  same  day,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  King,  his  eecond-lieutenant,  he  went  upon  Cape  Francois, 
with  the  hope,  that  from  this  elevation,  he  might  obtain  a  view 
of  the  sea-coast,  and  of  the  adjoining  islands.  Bnt,  when  he  had 
gotten  up,  he  found  that  every  distant  object  below  him  was 
obscured  in  a  thick  fog.  The  land  on  the  same  plain,  or  of  a 
greater  height,  was  sufficiently  visible,  and  appeared  naked  and 
desolate  in  the  highest  degree,  some  hills  to  the  southward  ex- 
cepted, which  were  covered  with  iuow. 

On  the  29th  Captain  Cook  departed  from  Christmas  Harbour, 
and  proceeded  to  range  along  the  coast,  with  a  view  of  discov- 
ering its  position  and  extent.  In  pursuing  his  course,  he  met 
with  several  promontories  and  bays,  together  with  a  peninsula, 
all  of  which  he  has  described  and  named,  chiefly  in  honour  of 
his  various  friends.  Such  was  the  danger  of  the  navigation,  that 
the  ships  had  more  than  once  a  very  narrow  escape.  On  the 
same  day,  another  harbour  was  discovered,  in  which  the  vessels 
came  to  an  anchor  for  one  night.  Here  the  captain,  Mr.  Gore, 
and  Mr.  Bayley  went  on  shore  to  examine  the  country,  which 
they  found,  if  possible,  more  barren  and  desolate  than  the  land 


'  i  '^ 


m 


fti 


.1  - » « 


I  Mil 


284 


CAPTAIN   COOK.  8 


tliat  lies  about  Christmas  Harbour  ;  and  yet,  if  the  least  fer- 
tility were  anywhere  to  be  expected,  it  ought  to  have  existed  in 
this  place,  which  is  completely  sheltered  from  the  bleak  and 
predominating  southerly  and  westerly  winds.  Our  commander 
observed,  with  regret,  that  there  was  neither  food  nor  covering 
for  cattle  of  any  sort  ;  and  that,  if  he  left  any,  they  must  inevit- 
ably perish.  Finding  no  encouragment  to  continue  his  researches, 
he  weighed  anchor  and  put  to  sea  on  the  30th,  having  given  to 
the  harbour  the  name  of  Port  Palliser.  On  the  same  day,  he 
came  to  a  point,  which  proved  to  be  the  very  eastern  extremity 
of  Kerguelen's  Land.  In  a  large  bay,  near  this  point,  there  was 
a  prodigious  quantity  of  sea-weed,  some  of  which  is  of  a  most  ex- 
traordinary length.  It  seemed  to  be  the  same  kind  of  vegetable 
production  that  Sir  Joseph  Banks  had  formerely  distinguished 
by  the  appellation  of  fucas  giganteus.  Although  the  stem  is  not 
much  thicker  than  a  man's  hand.  Captain  Cook  thought  himself 
well  warranted  to  say,  that  a  part  of  it  grows  to  the  length  of 
sixty  fathoms  and  upward. 

The  result  of  the  examination  of  Kerguelen's  Land  was,  that 
the  quantity  of  latitude  which  it  occupies  doth  not  much  exceed 
one  degree  and  a  quarter.  Its  extent  from  east  to  west,  still  remains 
'  undecided.  At  its  first  discovery  it  was  probably  supposed  to 
belong  to  a  southern  continent  ;  but,  in  fact,  it  is  an  island,  and 
that  of  no  great  extent.  If  our  commander  had  not  been  un- 
willing to  deprive  M.  Kerguelen  of  the  honour  of  its  bearing  his 
name,  he  would  have  been  disposed,  from  its  sterility,  to  call  it 
the  land  of  Desolation. 

It  should  here  be  mentioned,  that  M.  de  Kerguelen,  made  two 
visits  to  the  coast  of  this  country  ;  one  in  17t2,  and  another  in 
1173.  With  the  first  of  these  voyages.  Captain  Cook  had  only 
a  very  slight  acquaintance,  and  to  the  second  he  was  totally  a 
stranger  ;  so  that  he  scarcely  had  any  opportunity  of  comparing 
his  own  discoveries  with  those  of  the  French  navigator.     M.  de 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


285 


Kergnelen  was  pecaliarly  unfortunate,  in  having  done  but  little 
to  complete  what  he  had  begun  ;  for  though  he  discovered  e 
new  land,  he  could  not,  in  two  expeditions  to  it,  once  bring  his 
ehips  to  an  anchor  upon  any  part  of  its  coasts.  Captain  Cook 
had  either  had  fewer  difficulties  to  struggle  with,  or  was  more  suc- 
cessful in  surmounting  them. 

During  the  short  time  in  which  our  voyagers  lay  in  Christmas 
Harbour,  Mr.  Anderson  lost  no  opportunity  of  searching  the  coun- 
try in  every  direction.  Perhaps  no  place,  hitherto  discovered, 
under  the  same  parallel  of  latitude,  affords  so  scanty  a  field  for  a 
natural  historian.  AH  thit  could  be  known  in  the  space  of  time 
allotted  him,  and  probablj  all  that  will  ever  be  worthy  to  be 
known,  was  collected  by  this  gentleman,  A  verdure,  which  had 
been  seen  at  a  little  distance  from  the  shore,  gave  our  people  the 
flattering  expectation  of  meeting  with  a  variety  of  herbage  ;  but 
in  this  they  were  greatly  deceived.  On  landing,  it  was  perceived 
that  the  lively  colour  which  had  imposed  upon  them,  was  occa- 
sioned only  by  one  small  plant,  not  unlike  some  sort  of  saxifrage. 
It  grows  in  large  spreading  tufts,  a  considerable  way  up  the 
hills.  The  whole  catalogue  of  plants  does  not  exceed  sixteen 
or  eighteen,  mcluding  several  kinds  of  moss,  and  a  beautiful  spe- 
cies of  lichen,  which  rises  higher  up  from  the  rocks  than  the  rest 
of  the  vegetable  productions.  There  is  not  the  appearance  of  a 
shrub  in  the  whole  country.  Nature  has  been  somewhat  more 
bountiful  in  furnishing  it  with  animals  ;  though,  strictly  speaking, 
they  are  not  inhabitants  of  the  place,  being  all  of  the  marine 
kind.  In  general,  the  land  is  only  used  by  them  for  breeding, 
and  as  a  restiug-place.  Of  these  animals  the  most  considerable 
are  seals  ;  being  of  that  sort  which  is  called  the  ursine  seal. 
The  birds,  which  have  already  been  mentioned  as  very  numerous, 
chiefly  consist  of  penguins,  di.jks,  petrels,  albatrosses,  shags, 
gulls,  and  sea-swallows.  Penguins,  which  are  far  superior  in 
number  to  the  rest,  are  of  three  kinds,  one  of  which  had  never 


I  j 


m 


2S6 


OAFfAIN   COOK  8 


been  seen  by  any  ef  our  voyagers  before.  The  rocks,  or  fonn- 
dations  of  the  hills,  are  principally  composed  of  that  dark  blue 
and  very  hard  stone,  which  seems  to  be  one  of  the  most  universal 
productions  of  nature.  Nothing  was  discovered  that  had  the 
least  appearance  of  ore  or  metal. 

From  this  desolate  coast  Captain  Cook  took  his  departure  on 
the  31st,  intending,  agreeably  to  his  instructions,  to  touch  next 
at  New  Zealand  ;  that  he  might  obtain  a  recruit  of  water,  take 
in  wood,  and  make  hay  for  the  cattle.  Their  number  was  now 
considerably  diminished  ;  for  two  young  bulls,  one  of  the  heifers, 
two  rams,  and  several  of  the  goats  had  died  while  our  navigators 
were  employed  in  exploring  Kerguelen's  Land.  For  some  time 
they  had  fresh  gales,  and  tolerably  clear  weather.  But  on  the 
3d  of  January,  1717,  the  wind  veered  to  the  north,  where  it  con- 
tinued eight  days,  and  was  attended  with  so  thick  a  fog,  that 
the  ships  ran  above  three  hundred  leagues  in  the  dark.  Occa- 
sionally the  weather  would  clear  up,  and  give  our  people  a  sight 
of  the  sun  ;  but  this  happened  very  seldom,  and  was  always  of 
short  continuance.  However,  amidst  all  the  darkness  produced  by 
the  fog,  the  vessels,  though  they  seldom  saw  each  other  were  so 
fortunate,  in  consequence  of  frequently  firing  guns  as  signals,  that 
they  did  not  lose  company.  On  the  12th,  the  northerly  winds 
ended  in  a  calm.  This  was  succeeded,  in  a  little  time,  by  a  wind 
from  the  southward,  which  brought  on  a  rain,  that  continued  for 
twenty-four  hours.  At  the  end  of  the  rain,  the  wind  freshened, 
and  veering  to  the  west  and  northwest,  was  followed  by  rain  and 
clear  weather. 

Nothing  very  remarkable  occurred  to  our  voyagers  till  the  24th, 
when  they  discovered  the  coast  of  Van  Dieman's  Land  ;  and,  on 
the  26th,  the  ships  came  to  an  anchor  in  Adventure  Bay.  Cap- 
tain Cook,  as  soon  as  he  had  anchored,  ordered  the  boats  to  be 
hoisted  out  ;  in  one  of  which  he  went  himself,  to  look  for  the 
most  commodious  place  for  obtaining  the  necessary  <:  applies. 


TUIKD   VOTAOB. 


287 


Wood  and  water  were  foand  in  abundaDce,  and  in  places  suffi* 
ciently  convenient  ;  but  grass,  which  was  most  wanted,  was 
scarce,  and,  at  the  same  time  very  coarse.  Necessity,  however, 
obliged  our  people  to  take  up  with  such  as  could  be  procured. 

On  the  28th,  the  English,  who  were  employed  in  cutting  wood, 
were  agreeably  surprised  with  a  visit  from  some  of  the  natives. 
They  consisted  of  eight  men  and  a  boy,  who  approached  our 
voyagers  not  only  without  fear,  but  with  the  most  perfect  confi- 
dence and  freedom.     There  was  only  a  single  person  among  them 
who  had  anything  which  bore  the  least  appearance  of  a  weapon, 
and  that  was  no  more  than  a  stick  about  two  feet  long,  and 
pointed  at  one  end.     These  people  were  quite  naked,  and  woie 
no  kind  of  ornaments  ;  unless  some  large  punctures,  or  ridgej, 
raised  in  different  parts  of  their  bodies,  either  in  straight  or 
curved  lines,  may  be  considered  in  that  light.     Most  of  them  hud 
their  hair  and  beards  smeared  with  a  red  ointment  ;  and  the 
faces  of  some  of  them  were  painted  with  the  same  composiiion. 
Every  present  which  Captain  Cook  made  them  they  received 
without  the  least  appearance  of  satisfaction.     Of  bread  and  ele- 
phant fish,  which  were  offered  them,  they  refused  to  taste,  but 
showed  that  they  were  fond  of  birds,  as  an  article  of  food.    Two 
pigs,  which  the  captain  had  brought  on  shore,  having  come 
within  their  reach,  they  seized  them  by  the  ears,  as  a  dog  would 
have  done,  and  would  have  carried  them  off  immediately,  appar^ 
ently  with  no  other  intention  than  to  kill  them.     Our  commander 
being  desirous  of  knowing  the  use  of  the  stick  which  one  of  the 
Indians  had  in  his  hands,  he  signified  by  signs,  his  wishes  to  that 
purpose.    His  intimations  so  far  succeeded,  that  one  of  them  set 
up  a  piece  of  wood  as  a  mark,  and  threw  it  at  the  distance  of 
about  twenty  yards.     There  was  but  little  reason  to  commend 
his  dexterity  ;  for,  after  repeated  trials,  he  was  still  very  wide 
from  his  object.     Omai,  to  convince  the  natives  how  much  our 
weapons  vere  superior  to  theirs,  then  fired  his  musket  at  the 


■i\i  ? 


'» 


jil 


m 

r  S  lit 


28S 


CAPTAIN  COOKS 


mark,  by  Which  they  were  so  greatly  terrified,  that,  notwithstund 
ing  all  the  endeavours  of  the  English  to  quiet  their  minds,  they 
ran  instantly  into  the  woods. 

After  the  retreat  of  the  Indians,  Captain  Cook,  judging  that 
their  fears  would  prevent  their  remaining  near  enough  to  observe 
what  passed,  ordered  the  two  pigs,  being  a  boar  and  a  sow,  to, 
be  carried  about  a  mile  within  the  head  of  the  bay,  and  saw 
them  left  there,  by  the  side  of  a  fresh-water  brook.  It  was,  at 
first,  his  benevolent  intention  to  make  an  additional  present  to 
Van  Dieman's  Land,  of  a  young  bull  and  a  cow,  together  with 
some  sheep  and  goats.  But,  upon  reflection,  he  laid  aside  his 
design  ;  being  persuaded  that  the  natives  would  destroy  them, 
from  their  incapacity  of  entering  into  his  views  with  regard  to 
the  improvement  of  their  country.  As  pigs  are  animals  which 
soon  become  wild,  and  are  fond  of  the  thickest  cover  of  the 
woods,  there  was  the  greater  probability  of  their  being  preserved 
For  the  accommodation  of  the  other  cattle,  an  open  place  must 
have  been  chosen  ;  in  which  situation  they  could  not  possibly 
have  been  concealed  many  days. 

On  the  29th,  about  twenty  of  the  inhabitants,  men  and  boys, 
joined  Captain  Cook  and  such  of  his  people  as  had  landed  with 
him,  without  manifesting  the  least  sign  of  fear  or  distrust.  It 
was  remarkable,  that  one  of  the  Indians  was  conspicuously 
deformed  ;  nor  was  he  more  distinguished  by  the  hump  upon 
his  back,  than  by  the  drollery  of  his  gestures,  and  the  humour 
of  his  speeches  ;  which  had  the  appearance  of  being  intended 
for  the  entertainment  of  our  voyagers.  Unfortunately,  the 
language  in  which  he  spoke  to  them  was  wholy  unintelligible. 
To  each  of  the  present  group  the  captain  gave  a  string  of 
beads  and  a  medal,  which  they  seemed  to  receive  with  some  satis- 
faction. On  iron,  and  iron  tools,  they  appeared  to  set  no  value. 
There  was  reason  to  believe,  that  they  were  even  ignorant  of 
fish-hooks  ;  and  yet  it  is  difficult  to  suppose,  that  a  people  who 


THIRD   VOYAOK. 


289 


inhabit  a  sea-coast,  and  who  were  not  observed  to  derive  any  of 
their  sustenance  from  the  production  of  the  ground,  should  be 
unacquainted  with  some  mode  of  catching  fish.  Ilowcver,  they 
were  never  seen  to  be  thus  employed  ;  nor  was  any  canoe  or 
Tessel  discovered  by  which  they  could  go  upon  the  water. 
Though  they  had  rejected  the  kind  of  fish  which  had  been  offered 
them,  it  was  evident  that  shell  fish  made  a  part  of  their  food. 

After  Captain  Cook  had  left  the  shore,  several  women  and 
children  made  their  appearance,  and  were  introduced  to  Lieuten- 
ant King  by  some  of  the  men  that  attended  them.  These  fe- 
males (a  kangaroo  skin  excepted,  which  was  tied  over  their 
shoulders,  and  seemed  to  be  intended  to  support  their  infants) 
were  as  naked  and  as  black  as  the  men,  and  had  their  bodies 
marked  with  scars  in  the  same  manner.  Many  of  the  children 
had  fine  features,  and  were  thought  to  be  pretty  ;  but  a  less 
favourable  report  was  made  of  the  women,  and  especially  of  those 
who  were  advanced  in  years.  Some  of  the  gentlemen,  however, 
belonging  to  the  Discovery,  as  our  commander  was  informed,  paid 
their  addresses  and  made  liberal  offers  of  presents,  which  were 
rejected  with  great  disdain.  It  is  certain  that  this  gallantry 
was  not  very  agreeable  to  the  men  :  for  an  elderly  man,  as  soon 
as  he  observed  it,  ordered  the  women  to  retire.  The  order  was 
obeyed  ;  but,  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  females,  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  little  reluctance. 

On  the  present  occasion,  Captain  Cook  made  some  proper  and 
pertinent  reflections,  which  I  shall  deliver  in  his  own  words  : 
"  This  conduct,"  says  he,  "  of  Europeans  among  savages,  to  their 
women,  is  highly  blameable  ;  as  it  creates  n  jealousy  in  their 
men,  that  may  be  attended  with  consequences  fatal  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  common  enterprise,  and  to  the  whole  body  of  adven- 
turers, without  advancing  the  private  purpose  of  the  individual, 
or  enabling  him  to  gain  the  object  of  his  wishes.  I  believe  it 
has  generally  been  found,  amongst  uncivilized  people,  that  where 

13 


I 


'  m 


290 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


:tl 


the  women  are  easy  of  acccBs,  the  men  are  the  first  to  offer  them 
to  strangers  ;  and  that,  where  this  it  not  the  case,  neither  the 
alhirement  of  presents,  nor  the  opportunity  of  privacy,  will  be 
likely  to  have  the  desired  effect.  This  observation,  I  am  sure, 
^vill  hold  good  throughout  all  the  parts  of  the  South  Sea  where  I 
have  been.  Why  then  should  men  act  so  absurd  a  part,  as  to 
risk  their  own  safety  and  that  of  all  their  conipanions,  in  pursuit 
of  a  gratification  which  they  have  no  probability  of  obtaining  ?" 

While  our  navigators  were  at  Van  Dieman's  Land,  they  were 
successful  in  obtaining  a  plentiful  crop  of  grass  for  their  cattle, 
and  such  as  was  far  more  excellent  than  what  they  had  met 
with  at  their  first  going  on  shore.  The  quantity  collected  was 
judged  by  the  captain  to  be  sufficient  to  last  till  his  arrival  in 
New  Zealand. 

Van  Dieman's  Land  had  been  visited  twice  before.  That 
name  had  been  given  it  by  Tasraan,  who  discovered  it  in  1642  ; 
from  which  time  it  had  escaped  all  notice  (/  European  naviga- 
tors, till  Captain  Furueaux  touched  at  \\  m  1773.  It  is  well 
known  that  it  is  the  southern  part  of  New  Holland,  which  is  by 
far  the  largest  island  in  the  world  ;  indeed,  so  large  an  island, 
almost  as  to  deserve  the  appellation  of  a  continent. 

While  Captain  Cook  was  at  this  country,  he  neglected  nothing 
which  could  promote  the  knowledge  of  science  and  navigation. 
Here,  as  everywhere  else,  he  settled  the  latitude  and  longitude  of 
places  ;  marked  the  variations  of  the  compass,  and  recorded  the 
nature  of  the  tides.  He  corrected,  likewise,  an  error  of  Captain 
Furneaux,  with  respect  to  the  situation  of  Maria's  Island  ;  on 
which  subject  he  hath  candidly  remarked,  that  his  own  idea 
is  not  the  result  of  a  more  faithful,  but  merely  of  a  second  exa- 
mination. 

Mr.  Anderson,  during  the  few  days  in  which  the  ship  remained 
in  the  Adventure  Bay,  exerted  his  usual  diligence  in  collecting  as 
full  an  account  as  could  be  obtained  in  so  short  a  period  i^  time^ 


tune, 


TUIIiD   VOYAGE. 


201 


of  the  nataial  productions  and  the  inhabitants  of  tlio  country. 
Little  can  be  said  conconiing  either  tlie  personal  activity  or 
genius  of  the  natives.  The  Grst  they  do  tot  seciu  to  possess  in 
any  reraarkablo  degree  ;  and,  to  all  appearance,  they  have  leas 
of  the  last,  than  even  the  half-animated  inhabitants  of  Terra  del 
Fuego.  Their  not  expressing  that  surprise  which  might  have 
been  expected  from  their  seeing  men  so  much  unlike  themselves 
and  things  to  which  they  had  hitherto  been  utter  strangers  ; 
their  indifference  for  the  presents  of  our  people,  and  their  genO' 
ral  inattention,  were  sufficient  testimonies  that  they  are  not  en- 
dowed with  any  acuteness  of  understanding.  What  the  ancient 
poets  tell  us  of  Fauns  and  Satyrs  living  in  hollow  trees,  is  real- 
ized at  Van  Dieman's  Land.  Some  wretched  constructions  of 
sticks,  covered  with  bark,  and  which  did  not  deserve  the  name 
of  huts,  were  indeed  found  near  the  shore  :  but  these  seemed 
only  to  have  been  erected  for  temporary  purposes.  The  most 
comfortable  habitations  of  the  natives  were  afforded  by  the 
largest  trees.  These  had  their  trunks  hollowed  out  by  fire,  to 
the  height  of  six  or  seven  feet ;  and  there  was  room  enough  in 
them  for  three  or  four  persons  to  sit  round  a  hearth,  made  of 
clay.  At  the  same  time,  these  places  of  shelter  are  durable  ; 
for  the  people  take  care  to  leave  one  side  of  the  tree  sound, 
which  is  sufficient  to  keep  it  in  luxuriant  growth.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  Van  Dieman's  Land  are  undoubtedly  from  the  same 
stock  wit'u  those  of  the  northern  parts  of  New  Holland.  Their 
language,  indeed,  appeared  to  be  different ;  but  how  far  the  dif- 
ference extended,  our  voyagers  could  not  have  an  opportunity  of 
determining.  With  regard  to  the  New  Hollanders  in  general, 
there  is  reason  to  suppose  that  they  originally  came  from  the 
same  place  with  all  the  Indians  of  the  South  Sea. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  Ittt,  Captain  Cook  sailed  from  Ad- 
venture Bay,  and  on  the  12th  of  February  came  to  anchor  at  his 
old  station  of  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  in  New  Zealand.    Being 


i  ■  ( 


!fU 


I  r 


'HI 


•1 


i 


n 


-:;'  i 


m 

'  'ill 


292 


CAPTAIN  COOK  S 


M  MIS 


unwilling  to  lose  any  time,  he  commenced  his  operations  that 
very  afternoon.  By  his  order,  several  of  the  empty  water  casks 
were  landed,  and  a  place  was  begun  to  be  cleared  for  setting  up 
the  two  observatories,  and  the  erection  of  tents,  to  accommodate 
a  guard,  and  the  rest  of  the  company,  whose  business  might  re- 
quire them  to  remain  on  shore.  Our  navigators  had  not  long 
been  at  anchor,  before  a  number  of  canoes,  filled  with  natives, 
came  alongside  of  the  ships.  Howeverj  very  few  of  them  would 
venture  on  board  ;  which  appeared  the  more  extraordinary,  as 
the  captain  was  well  known  to  them  all,  and  they  could  not  be 
insensible  how  liberally  he  had  behaved  to  them  on  former  occa- 
sions. There  was  one  man  in  particular,  whom  he  had  treated 
with  remarkable  kindness,  during  the  whole  of  his  last  stay  in 
this  place,  and  yet,  neither  professions  of  friendship,  nor  presents, 
could  prevail  upon  him  to  enter  the  Resolution. 

There  was  a  real  cause  for  this  shyness  on  the  part  of  the 
New  Zealanders.  A  dreadful  event  had  happened  to  some  of 
Captain  Furneaux's  crew,  while  he  lay  in  Queen  Charlotte's 
Bound,  after  he  had  finally  separated  from  Captain  Cook,  in  the 
former  voyage.  Ten  men,  who  had  been  sent  out  in  the  large 
cutter  to  gather  wild  greens,  for  the  ship's  company,  were  killed 
in  a  skirmish  with  the  natives.  What  was  the  cause  of  the 
quarrel  could  not  be  ascertained,  as  not  one  of  the  company  sur- 
vived to  relate  the  story.  Lieutenant  Burney,  who  was  ordered 
to  go  in  search  of  them,  found  only  some  fragments  of  their 
bodies  ;  from  which  it  appeared,  that  they  had  been  converted 
into  the  food  of  the  inhabitants.  It  was  the  remembrance  of 
this  event,  and  the  fear  of  its  being  revenged,  which  now  ren- 
dered the  New  Zealanders  so  fearful  of  entering  the  English  ves- 
sels. From  the  conversation  of  Omai,  who  was  on  board  the 
Adventure  when  the  melancholy  afiair  happened,  they  knew  that 
it  could  not  be  unknown  to  Captain  Cook.  The  captain,  there- 
fore, judged  it  necessary  to  use  every  endeavour  to  assure  them 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


298 


of  the  contiDuance  of  his  friendship,  and  that  he  should  not  dis> 
turb  them  on  account  of  the  catastrophe.  It  was  most  probably 
in  consequence  of  this  assurance,  that  they  soon  laid  aside  all 
manner  of  restraint  and  distrust. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  operations  for  refittinj^  the  ships,  and 
for  obtaining  provisions,  were  carried  on  with  great  vigour.  J'or 
the  protection  of  the  party  on  shore,  our  commander  appointed 
a  guard  of  ten  marines,  and  ordered  arms  for  all  the  workmen, 
with  whom  Mr.  King,  and  two  or  three  petty  officers,  con- 
Btantly  remained.  A  boat  was  never  sent  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance without  being  armed,  or  without  being  under  the  direction 
of  such  officers  as  might  be  depended  upon,  and  who  were  well 
acquainted  with  the  natives.  In  Captain  Cooii's  former  visits 
to  this  country,  he  had  never  made  use  of  such  precautions  ;  nor 
was  he  now  convinced  of  their  absolute  necessity.  But  after  the 
tragical  fate  of  the  crew  of  the  Adventure's  boat  in  this  sound, 
and  of  Captain  Marion  du  Fresne,  and  some  of  his  people  in  the 
Bay  of  Islands  (in  1*1*12),  it  was  impossible  to  free  our  naviga- 
tors from  all  apprehensions  of  experiencing  a  similar  calamity. 

Whatever  suspicions  the  inhabitants  might  at  first  entertain, 
that  their  acts  of  barbarity  would  be  revenged,  they  very  speedily 
became  so  perfectly  easy  upon  the  subject,  as  to  take  up  their 
residence  close  to  our  voyagers  :  and  the  advantage  of  their 
coming  to  live  with  the  English  was  not  inconsiderable.  Every 
day,  when  the  weather  would  permit,  some  of  them  went  out  to 
catch  fish,  and  our  people  generally  obtained,  by  exchanges,  a 
good  share  of  the  produce  of  their  labours,  in  addition  to  the 
supply  which  was  afforded  by  our  own  nets  and  lines.  Nor  was 
there  a  deficiency  of  vegetable  refrcRhments  ;  to  which  was  united 
spruce-beer  for  drink  ;  so  that  if  the  seeds  of  the  scurvy  had 
been  contracted  by  any  of  the  crew,  tln^y  would  speedily  have 
been  removed  by  such  a  regimen.  The  fact,  however,  was,  that 
there  weip  only  two  invalids  upon  the  sick  lists  in  both  ships. 


294 


CAPTAIN   OOOK  8 


Curiosities,  fish,  and  women,  were  the  articles  of  commerce 
supplied  by  the  New  Zealanders.  The  two  first  always  came  to 
a  good  market ;  but  the  latter  did  not  happen,  at  this  time,  to 
be  an  acceptable  commodity.  Our  seamen  had  conceived  a  dis- 
like to  these  people,  and  were  either  unwilling  or  afraid  to 
associate  with  them  ;  the  good  effect  of  which  was,  that  our 
commander  knew  no  instance  of  a  man's  quitting  his  station,  to 
go  to  the  habitations  of  the  Indians.  A  connexion  with  women 
it  was  out  of  Captain  Cook's  power  to  prevent  ;  but  he  never 
encouraged  it,  and  always  was  fearful  of  its  consequences.  Many, 
indeed,  are  of  opinion,  that  such  an  intercourse  is  a  great  security 
among  savages.  But  if  this  should  ever  be  the  case  with  those 
who  remain  and  settle  among  them,  it  is  generally  otherwise 
with  respect  to  travellers  and  transient  visitors.  In  such  a  situ- 
ation as  was  that  of  our  navigators,  a  connexion  with  the  women 
of  the  natives,  betrays  more  men  than  it  saves.  "What  else," 
says  the  captain,  "  can  reasonably  be  expected,  since  all  their 
views  are  selfish,  without  the  least  mixture  of  regard  or  attach- 
ment ?  My  own  experience,  at  least,  which  hath  been  pretty 
extensive,  hath  not  pointed  out  to  me  one  instance  to  the  con- 
trary." 

Amongst  the  persons  who  occasionally  visited  the  English,  was 
a  chief  of  the  name  of  Kahoora,  who,  as  the  captain  was 
informed,  had  headed  the  party  that  cut  off  Captain  Furneaux's 
people,  and  had  himself  killed  Mr.  Rowe,  the  oflficer  who  com- 
manded. This  man  our  commander  was  strongly  solicited  to  put 
to  death,  even  by  some  of  the  natives  ;  and  Omai  was  perfectly 
eager  and  violent  upon  the  subject.  To  these  solicitations  the 
captain  paid  not  the  least  degree  of  attention.  He  even  admired 
Kahoora's  courage,  and  was  not  a  little  pleased  with  the  confi- 
dence with  which  he  had  put  himself  into  his  power.  Kahoora 
had  placed  his  whole  safety  in  the  declarations  that  Captaio 
Cook  had  uniformly  made  to  the  New  Zealanders  ;  which  were. 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


295 


that  ho  had  always  been  a  friend  to  them  all,  and  would  con- 
tinue to  be  so,  unless  they  gave  him  cause  to  act  otherwise  ;  that 
as  to  their  inhuman  treatment  of  our  people,  he  should  think  no 
more  of  it,  the  transaction  having  happened  long  ago,  and  when 
'le  was  not  present ;  but  that,  if  ever  they  made  a  second 
attempt  of  the  same  kind,  they  might  rest  assured  of  feeling  the 
weight  of  his  resentment. 

While  our  commander,  on  the  16th,  was  making  an  excursion 
for  the  purpose  of  collecting  food  for  his  cattle,  he  embraced  the 
opportunity  to  inquire,  as  accurately  as  possible,  into  the  circum- 
stances which  had  attended  the  melancholy  fate  of  our  country- 
men. Omai  was  his  interpreter  on  this  occasion.  The  result  of 
the  inquiry  was,  that  the  quarrel  first  took  its  rise  from  some 
thefts,  in  the  commission  of  which  the  natives  were  detected  ; 
that  there  was  no  premeditated  plan  of  bloodshed  ;  and  that  if 
these  thefts  had  not,  unfortunately,  been  too  hastily  resented,  no 
mischief  would  have  happened.  Kahoora's  greatest  enemies, 
and  even  the  very  men  that  had  most  earnestly  solicited  his 
destruction,  confessed,  at  the  same  time,  that  he  had  no  intention 
of  quarrelling  with  Captain  Furneaux's  people,  and  much  less  of 
killing  any  of  them,  till  the  fray  had  actually  commenced. 

Captain  Cook  continued,  in  this  his  last  visit  to  New  Zealand, 
the  solicitude  he  had  formerly  shown  to  be  of  some  essential 
future  service  to  the  country.  To  one  chief  he  gave  two  goats, 
a  male  and  a  female,  with  a  kid  ;  and  to  another  two  pigs,  a 
boar  and  a  sow.  Althongh  he  obtained  a  promise  from  both 
these  chiefs,  that  they  would  not  kill  the  animals  which  had 
been  presented  to  them,  he  could  not  venture  to  place  any  great 
reliance  upon  their  assurances.  It  was  his  full  intention,  on  his 
present  arrival  in  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  to  have  left  not  only 
goats  and  hogs,  but  sheep,  together  with  a  young  bull  and  two 
heifers.  The  accomplishment,  however,  of  this  resolution 
depended  either  upon  his  finding  a  chief,  who  was  powerful 


!  I- 


tt.' 


[>ih>i" 


,    <    '*1 


296 


CAPTAIN  cook's 


enough  to  protect  and  keep  the  cattle,  or  npon  his  meeting  with 
a  place  where  thtre  miglit  be  a  probability  of  their  being  con- 
cealed from  those  who  would  ignorantly  attempt  to  destroy  them. 
Neither  of  these  circumstances  happened  to  be  conformable  to 
his  wishes.  At  different  times  he  had  left  in  New  Zealand  ten 
or  a  dozen  hogs,  besides  those  which  had  been  put  on  shore  by 
Captain  Furneaux.  It  will,  therefore,  be  a  little  extraordinary, 
if  this  race  of  animals  should  not  increase  and  be  preserved, 
either  in  a  wild  or  domestic  state,  or  in  both.  Our  commander 
was  informed  that  Tiratou,  a  popular  chief  among  the  natives, 
had  a  number  of  cocks  and  hens,  and  one  sow,  in  his  separate 
possession.  With  regard  to  the  gardens  which  had  formerly 
been  planted,  though  they  bad  almost  entirely  been  neglected, 
and  some  of  them  destroyed,  they  were  not  wholly  unproductive. 
They  were  found  to  contain  cabbages,  onions,  leeks,  purslain, 
radishes,  mustard,  and  a  few  potatoes.  The  potatoes,  which  had 
first  been  brought  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  were  greatly 
meliorated  by  change  of  soil ;  and,  with  proper  cultivation,  would 
be  superior  to  those  produced  in  most  other  countries. 

A  great  addition  of  knowledge  was  obtained,  during  this  voy- 
age, with  respect  to  the  productions  of  New  Zealand,  and  the 
manners  and  customs  of  its  inhabitants.  The  zeal  of  Captain 
Cook  upon  the  subject  was  admirably  seconded  by  the  sedulouf 
diligence  of  Mr.  Anderson,  who  omitted  no  opportunity  of  collect- 
ing every  kind  and  degree  of  information.  I  shall  only  so  far 
trespass  on  the  patience  of  my  readers,  as  to  mention  a  few  cir- 
cumstances tending  to  delineate  the  character  of  the  native.s. 
■•  They  seemed  to  be  a  people  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  little  they 
xlready  possess  ;  nor  are  they  remarkably  curious  either  in  their 
observations  or  their  inquiries.  New  objects  are  so  far  from 
striking  them  with  sucli  a  degree  of  surprise  as  might  naturally 
be  expected,  tiiat  tliuy  scarcely  Ux  their  attention  even  for  a 
moment.     In  the  arts  with  which  they  are  acquainted,  they  show 


THTRD  VOYAGE. 


297 


as  much  ingennity,  both  in  invcntioD  and  execntion,  as  any 
nncivilized  nations  under  similar  circumstances.  Without  the 
least  use  of  those  tools  which  arc  formed  of  metal,  they  make 
everything  that  is  necessary  to  procure  their  subsistence,  cloth- 
ing, and  military  weapons  ;  and  all  this  is  done  by  them  with  a 
neatness,  a  strength,  and  a  convenience,  that  are  well  adapted 
to  the  accomplishment  of  the  several  purposes  they  have  in  view. 
No  people  can  have  a  quicker  sense  of  an  injury  done  to  them 
than  the  New  Zealanders,  or  be  more  ready  to  resent  it ;  and 
yet  they  want  one  characteristic  of  true  bravery  ;  for  they  will 
take  an  opportunity  of  being  insolent,  when  they  think  there  is 
no  danger  of  their  being  punished.  From  the  number  of  their 
weapons,  and  their  dexterity  in  using  them,  it  appears,  that  war 
is  their  principal  profession.  Indeed,  their  public  contentions 
are  so  frequent,  or  rather  so  perpetual,  that  they  must  live  under 
continual  apprehensions  of  being  destroyed  by  each  other.  From 
their  horrid  custom  of  eating  the  flesh  of  their  enemies,  not  only 
without  reluctance  but  with  peculiar  satisfaction,  it  would  be 
natural  to  suppose  that  they  must  be  destitute  of  every  human 
feeling,  even  with  regard  to  their  own  party.  This,  however,  is 
not  tbe  case  ;  for  they  lament  the  loss  of  their  friends  with  a 
violence  of  expression  which  argues  the  most  tender  remembrance 
of  them.  At  a  very  early  age  the  children  are  initiated  into  all 
the  practices,  whether  good  or  bad,  of  their  fathers  ;  so  that  a 
boy  or  girl,  when  only  nine  or  ten  years  old,  can  perform  tlie 
motions,  and  imitate  the  frightful  gestures,  by  which  the  more 
aged  are  accustomed  to  inspire  their  enemies  with  terror.  They 
can  keep  likewise  the  strictest  time  in  their  song  ;  and  it  is  with 
some  degree  of  melody  that  they  sing  the  traditions  of  their  fore- 
fathers, their  actions  in  war,  and  other  subjects.  The  military 
achievements  of  their  ancestors,  tiie  New  Zealanders  celebrate 
with  the  highest  pleasure,  and  spend  much  of  their  time  in  diver- 
eions  of  this  sort,  and  in  playing  upon  a  musical  instrument 

13* 


f    nB- 


Ul>n' 


I 


298 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


which  partakes  of  the  nature  of  a  flute.  With  respect  to  their 
language,  it  is  far  from  being  harsh  or  disagreeable,  though  the 
pronunciation  of  it  is  frequently  guttural  ;  nor,  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  melody  of  some  kinds  of  their  songs,  is  it  destitute  of 
those  qualities,  which  fit  it  to  be  associated  with  music.  Of  its 
identity  with  the  languages  of  the  other  islands,  throughout  the 
South  Sea,  fresh  proofs  were  exhibited  during  the  present  voy- 
age. 

At  the  request  of  Omai,  Captain  Cook  consented  to  take  with 
him  two  youths  from  New  Zealand.  That  they  might  not  quit 
their  native  country  under  any  deluding  ideas  of  visiting  it  again, 
the  captain  took  care  to  inform  their  parents,  in  the  strongest 
terms,  that  they  would  never  return.  This  declaration  seemed, 
however,  to  make  no  kind  of  impression.  The  father  of  the 
youngest  lad  resigned  him  with  an  indifference,  which  he  would 
scarcely  have  shown  at  parting  with  his  dog,  and  even  stripped 
the  boy  of  the  little  clothing  he  possessed,  delivering  him  quite 
naked  into  the  hands  of  our  voyagers.  This  was  not  the  case 
with  the  mother  of  the  other  youth.  She  took  her  leave  of  him 
with  all  the  marks  of  tender  affection,  that  might  be  expected 
between  a  parent  and  a  child  on  such  an  occasion  ;  but  she  soon 
resumed  her  cheerfulness,  and  went  away  wholly  unconcerned. 

On  the  25th  of  the  month,  Captain  Cook  stood  out  of  Queen 
Charlotte's  Sound,  and  by  the  27th  got  clear  of  New  Zealand. 
No  sooner  had  the  ships  lost  sight  of  the  land,  than  the  two 
young  adventurers  from  that  country,  one  of  whom  was  nearly 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  the  other  about  ten,  began  deeply  to 
repent  of  the  step  they  had  taken.  It  was  the  experience  of  the 
sea-sickness  which  gave  this  turn  to  their  reflections  ;  and  all  the 
soothing  encouragement  the  English  could  think  of,  was  but  of 
little  avail.  They  wept,  both  in  public  and  in  private,  and  made 
their  lamentation  in  a  kind  of  song,  that  seemed  to  be  expressive 
of  the  praises  of  their  country  and  people,  from  which  they  were 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


299 


to  be  separated  forever.  In  this  disposition  they  continued  for 
many  days  ;  but  as  their  sea-sickness  wore  oflf,  and  the  tumult 
of  their  minds  subsided,  the  fits  of  the  lamentation  became  less 
and  less  frequent,  and  at  length  entirely  ceased.  By  degrees, 
their  native  country  and  their  friends  were  forgotten,  and  they 
appeared  to  be  as  firmly  attached  to  our  navigators,  as  if  they 
bad  been  born  in  England. 

In  the  prosecution  of  the  voyage.  Captain  Cook  met  with 
unfavourable  winds  ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  29th  of  March  that 
land  was  discovered.  It  was  found  to  be  an  inhabited  island,  the 
name  of  which,  as  Was  learned  from  two  of  the  natives,  who 
came  off  in  a  canoe,  is  Mangeea.  Our  commander  examined  the 
coast  with  his  boats,  and  had  a  short  intercourse  with  some  of 
the  inhabitants.  Not  being  able  to  find  a  proper  harbour  for 
bringing  the  ships  to  an  anchorage,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
country  unvisited,  though  it  seemed  capable  of  supplyi  ig  all  the 
wants  of  our  voyagers.  The  island  of  Mangeea  is  full  five  lea- 
gues in  circuit,  and  of  a  moderate  and  pretty  equal  height.  It 
has  upon  the  whole,  a  pleasing  aspect,  and  might  be  made  a 
beautiful  spot  by  cultivation.  The  inhabitants,  who  appeared  to 
be  both  numerous  and  well  fed,  seemed  to  resemble  those  of  Ota- 
heite  and  the  Marquesas  in  the  beauty  of  their  persons  ;  and  the 
resemblance,  as  far  as  could  be  judged  in  so  short  a  compass  of 
time,  takes  place  with  respect  to  their  general  disposition  and 
character. 

From  the  coast  of  Mangeea  our  commander  sailed  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  30th,  and  on  the  next  day  land  was  again  seen, 
within  four  leagues  of  which  the  ships  arrived  on  the  1st  cf 
April.  Our  people  could  then  pronounce  it  to  be  an  island, 
nearly  of  the  same  appearance  and  extent  with  that  which  had 
so  lately  been  left.  Some  of  the  natives  speedily  put  off  in 
their  canoes,  and  three  of  them  were  persuaded  to  come  on 
board  the  Resolution  j  on  which  occasion,  their  whole  behaviour 


■^'h'l 


300 


CAPTAIN  OOOIL  B 


marked  that  thoy  were  qaite  at  their  ease,  and  felt  no  kino  jf 
apprehension  that  they  should  be  detained,  or  ill  used,  hi  a 
Tisit  from  several  others  of  the  inhabitants,  they  manifested  a 
dread  of  approaching  near  the  cows  and  horses  ;  nor  could  they 
form  the  least  conception  of  their  nature.  But  the  sheep  and 
goats  did  not,  in  their  opinion,  surpass  the  limits  of  their  ideas  ; 
for  they  gave  our  navigators  to  understand  that  they  knew  them 
to  be  birds.  As  there  is  not  the  most  distant  resemblance 
between  a  sheep  or  a  goat,  and  any  winged  animal,  this  may  be 
thought  to  be  almost  aA  incredible  example  of  human  ignorauce. 
But  it  should  be  remembered,  that,  excepting  hogs,  dogs,  and 
birds,  these  people  were  strangers  to  the  existence  of  any  other 
land  animal. 

In  a  farther  intercourse  with  the  natives,  who  had  brought  a 
hog,  together  with  some  plantains  and  cocoa-nuts,  they  demand- 
ed a  dog  from  our  voyagers,  and  refused  everything  besides 
which  was  offered  in  exchange.  One  of  the  gentlemen  on  board 
happened  to  have  a  dog  and  a  bitch  which  were  great  nuisances 
in  the  ship  ;  and  these  he  might  now  have  disposed  of  in  a  man- 
ner that  would  have  been  of  real  future  utility  to  the  island. 
But  he  had  no  such  views  in  making  them  the  companions  of  his 
voyage.  Omai,  however,  with  a  good  nature  that  reQocts  hon- 
our upon  him,  parted  with  a  favourite  dog  which  he  had  brought 
from  England  ;  and  with  this  acquisition  the  people  departed 
highly  satisfied. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  Captain  Cook  despatched  Mr.  Gore,  with 
three  boats,  to  endeavour  to  get  upon  the  island.  Mr.  Gore  him- 
self, Omai,  Mr,  Anderson,  and  Mr.  Burney,  were  the  only  persons 
that  landed.  The  transactions  of  the  day,  of  which  Mr.  Ander- 
son drew  up  an  ingenious  and  entertaining  account,  added  to  the 
stock  of  knowledge  gained  by  our  navigators,  but  did  not  accom- 
plish Captain  Cook's  principal  object.  Nothing  was  procured  by 
the  gentlemen,  from  the  island,  that  supplied  the  wants  of  the 


THIBD   VOYAGE. 


801 


ehips.  In  this  expedition,  Omai  disi)layed  that  turn  for  exuggcr' 
ation,  with  which  travellers  have  so  frequently  been  charged. 
Being  asked  by  the  natives  concerning  the  English,  thtir  ships, 
their  country,  and  the  arms  they  made  use  of,  his  answers  were 
not  a  little  marvellous.  He  told  these  people,  that  our  country  had 
ships  as  large  as  their  island  ;  on  board  which  were  instruments 
of  war  (describing  our  guns)  of  such  dimensions,  that  several 
persons  might  sit  within  V  em.  At  the  same  time,  he  assured 
the  inhabitants,  that  one  of  these  guns  was  sufficient  to  crush 
their  whole  island  at  a  single  shot.  Though  he  was  obliged  to 
acknowledge  that  the  guns  on  board  the  vessels  upon  their  coast 
were  but  small,  he  contrived  by  an  explosion  of  gunpowder,  to 
inspire  them  with  a  formidable  idea  of  their  nature  and  effect. 
It  is  probable,  that  this  representation  of  things  contributed  to 
the  preservation  of  the  gentlemen,  in  their  entei  prise  on  shore  ; 
for  a  strong  disposition  to  retain  them  had  been  shown  by  the 
natives. 

It  seemed  destined  that  this  day  should  give  Omai  more  occa- 
sions than  one  of  bearing  a  principal  part  in  its  transactions. 
The  island,  though  never  visited  by  Europeans  before,  happened 
to  have  other  strangers  residing  in  it ;  and  it  was  entirely  owing 
to  Omai's  having  attended  on  the  expedition,  that  a  circumstance 
so  curious  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  English.  Scarcely  had 
he  been  landed  upon  the  beach,  when  he  found,  among  the  crowd 
which  had  assembled  there,  three  of  his  own  countrymen,  natives 
of  the  Society  Islands,  That,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  hun- 
dred leagues  from  those  islands,  an  immense  unknown  ocean  inter- 
vening, with  the  wretched  boats  their  inhabitants  are  known  to 
make  use  of,  and  fit  only  for  a  passage  where  sight  of  land  is 
hardly  ever  lost,  such  a  meeting,  at  such  a  place,  so  accidentally 
visited,  should  occur,  may  be  well  regarded  as  one  of  those 
unexpected  situations  with  which  the  writers  of  feigned  adven- 
tures love  to  surprise  their  readers.     When  events  of  this  kind 


-•"Si 

;  ■'  •■!■ 


I 


M 


I  ■ 


';;?;■ 


i\i 


802 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


really  happen  in  common  life,  they  deserve  to  be  reoDrdcd  for 
their  siugr'arity.     It  may  ea-sily  be  supposed  with  what  mutual 
surprise  and  satisfaction  this  interview  of  Omai  with  his  country- 
men was  attended.     Twelve  years  before,  about  twenty  persons 
in  number,  of  both  sexes,  had  embarked  on  board  a  canoe  at 
Otaheite,  to  cross  over  t(vthe  neighbouring  island  of  Ulieta.     A 
violent  storm  having  arisen,  which  drove  them  out  of  their  course, 
and  their  provisions  being  very  scanty,  they  sufiTered  incredible 
hardships,  and  the  greatest  part  of  them  perished  by  famine  and 
fatigue.    Four  men  only  survived  when  the  boat  overset,  and 
then  the  destruction  of  this  small  remnant  appeared  to  be  inevit- 
able.    However,  they  kept  hanging  by  the  side  of  the  vessel, 
which  they  contitmed  to  do  for  some  days,  when  they  were  pro- 
videntially brought  within  sight  of  the  people  of  this  island, 
who  immediately  sent  out  canoes,  and  brought  them  on  shore. 
The  three  men,  who  now  survived,  expressed  a  strong  sense  of 
the  kind  treatment  they  had  received  ;  and  so  well  satisfied  were 
they  with  their  present  situation,  that  they  refused  an  oflfer  which 
was  made  them  of  being  conveyed  to  their  native  country.     A 
very  important  instruction  may  be  derived  from  the  preceding 
narrative.     It  will  serve  to  explain,  better,  than  a  thousand  con- 
lectures  of  speculative  reasoners,  how  the  detached  parts  of  the 
earth,   and  in  particular,  how  the  islands  of  the  South  Sea, 
though  lying  remote  from  any  inhabited  continent,  or  from  each 
other,  may  have  originally  been  peopled.     Similar  adventures 
have  occurred  in  the  history  of  navigation  and  shipwrecks. 

The  island  on  which  Mr.  Gore,  Mr.  Anderson,  Mr.  Burney, 
and  Omai,  had  landed,  is  called  Wateeoo  by  the  natives,  and  is 
a  beautiful  spot,  having  a  surface  composed  of  hills  and  plains 
which  are  covered  with  a  verdure  rendered  extremely  pleasant 
by  the  diversity  of  its  hues.  Its  inhabitants  are  very  numerous; 
and  many  of  the  young  men  were  perfect  models  in  shape,  besidet* 
which,  they  had  complexions  as  delicate  as  those  of  the  women^ 


THIRD   TOTAOR. 


303 


and  appeared  to  be  equally  amiable  in  thoir  dispositiotfl.  In 
theii  maDuers,  their  general  liabits  uf  life,  and  their  religious 
ceremonies  and  opinions,  these  islanders  have  a  near  resemblance 
to  the  people  of  Otaheite,  and  its  neighbouring  isles  ;  and  their 
language  was  well  understood,  both  by  Omai  and  the  two  New 
Zealanders. 

The  next  place  visited  by  Captain  Cook  was  a  small  island, 
called  Weunooaette,  or  Otakootaia,  to  which  Mr.  Gore  was  sent, 
at  the  head  of  a  party  who  procured  about  a  hundred  cocoa-nuts 
for  each  ship,  and  some  grass,  together  with  a  quantity  of  the 
leaves  and  branches  of  young  trees,  for  the  cattle.  Though  at 
this  time,  no  inhabitants  were  found  in  Wennooaette,  yet,  as 
there  remained  indubitable  marks  of  its  being,  at  least,  occasion- 
ally frequented,  Mr.  Gore  left  a  hatchet,  and  several  nails,  to 
the  full  value  of  what  had  been  taken  away. 

On  the  5th,  our  commander  directed  his  course  for  Harvey's 
Island,  which  was  only  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  leagues,  and 
where  he  hoped  to  procure  some  refreshments.  This  island  had 
been  discovered  by  him,  in  1713,  during  his  last  voyage,  when 
no  traces  were  discerned  of  its  having  any 'inhabitants.  It  was 
now  experienced  to  be  well  peopled,  and  by  a  race  of  men  who 
appeared  to  differ  much,  both  in  person  and  disposition,  from  the 
natives  of  Wateeoo.  Their  behaviour  was  disorderly  and  clam- 
orous :  their  colour  was  of  a  deeper  cast  ;  and  several  of  them 
had  a  fierce  and  rugged  aspect.  It  was  remarkable,  that  not 
one  of  them  had  adopted  the  practice,  so  generally  prevalent 
among  the  people  of  the  Southern  Ocean,  of  puncturing  or  taioo^ 
ing  their  bodies.  But,  notwithstanding  this  singularity,  the  most 
unequivocal  proofs  were  exhibited  of  their  having  the  same  com- 
mon origin  ;  and  their  language,  in  particular,  approached  still 
nearer  to  the  dialect  of  Otalieite,  than  that  of  Wateeoo,  or 
Mangeea.  No  anchorage  for  the  ships  being  found  in  Harvey's 
Island,  Cantaic  Cook  quitted  it  without  delay. 


n 


I 


wi 


m 


ii::. 


■!ti[ 


804 


OAPTAIN  CX)OK  0 


Tho  cnptain  being  thus  disappointed  at  all  the  islands  he  bad 
met  with,  since  his  leaving  New  Zealand,  and  his  progress  having 
nnavoidablj  been  retarded  by  unfavourable  winds,  and  other 
unforeseen  circumstances,  it  became  impossible  to  think  of  doing 
anything  this  year  iu  tho  higii  latitudes  of  the  northern  hemi- 
sphere, from  which  ho  was  still  at  so  great  a  distance,  though 
the  season  for  his  operations  there  was  already  begun.  In  this 
situation,  it  was  absolutely  necessary,  in  the  first  place,  to  pur- 
sue such  measures  as  were  most  likely  to  preserve  the  cattle  that 
were  on  board.  A  still  more  capital  object  was  to  save  the 
stores  and  provisions  of  tiie  ships,  that  he  might  the  better  be 
enabled  to  prosecute  his  discoveries  to  the  north,  which  could 
not  now  be  commenced  till  a  year  later  than  was  originally 
intended.  If  he  had  been  so  fortunate  as  to  have  procured  a 
supply  of  water,  and  of  grass,  at  any  of  the  islands  he  had  lately 
visited,  it  was  his  purpose  to  have  stood  back  to  the  south,  till 
he  had  met  with  a  westerly  wind.  But  the  certain  consequence 
of  doing  this,  without  such  a  supply,  would  have  been  the  loss 
of  all  the  cattle;  while,  at  the  same  time,  not  a  single  advantage 
would  have  been  gained,  with  regard  to  the  grand  ends  of  the 
voyage.  He  determined,  therefore,  to  bear  away  for  the  Friendly 
Islands,  where  he  was  sure  of  being  abundantly  provided. 

In  pursuing  his  course,  agreeably  to  this  resolution,  our  com- 
mander, on  the  14th,  reached  Palraerston  Island,  where,  and  at 
a  neighbouring  islet,  both  of  which  were  uninhabited,  some  little 
relief  was  obtained.  The  boats  soon  procured  a  load  of  scurvy- 
grass  and  young  cocoa-nut  trees,  which  was  a  feast  for  the  cat- 
tle ;  and  the  same  feast  with  the  addition  of  palm  cabbage,  and 
the  tender  branches  of  the  wharra  tree,  was  coutiimed  for 
several  days.  On  the  16th,  Omai,  being  on  shore  with  the  cap- 
tain, caught,  with  a  scoop-net,  in  a  very  short  time,  as  much  fish 
as  served  the  whole  party  for  dinner,  besides  sending  a  quantity 
to  both  the  ships.    Birds,  too,  and  particularly  men-of-war  and 


THIUD    VOYAGE. 


805 


tropic  birds,  nrcrc  pkntifuiiy  obtained  ;  so  tliat  our  itavit^atorfl 
had  sumptuous  entertainment.  Oniai  uctod  ao  cook  upon  the 
occasion.  The  fish  and  the  birds  he  dressed  with  heated  stones, 
after  the  manner  of  his  country  ;  and  perforiucd  tlie  operation 
with  a  dexterity  and  good  humour  which  were  greatly  to  his 
credit.  From  the  islet  before  mentioned,  twelve  hundred  cocoa- 
nuts  were  procured,  which  being  equally  divided  among  the 
crew,  were  of  great  use  to  them,  both  on  account  of  the  juice 
and  the  kernel.  Tiicre  is  no  water  in  the  islets  which  are  com- 
prehended under  the  name  of  Palmcrston's  Island.  If  that  arti- 
cle  could  be  obtained,  and  good  anchorage  could  be  accomplished 
within  the  reef.  Captain  Cook  would  prefer  this  island  to  any  of 
the  uninhabited  ones,  for  the  mere  purpose  of  refreshment.  The 
quantity  of  fish  that  might  be  caught  would  be  sufficient ;  and  a 
ship's  company  could  roam  about  unmolested  by  the  petulance 
of  the  inhabitants. 

Diflferent  opinions  have  been  entertained  concerning  the 
formation  of  the  low  islands  in  the  great  ocean.  From  the 
observations  which  our  commander  now  made,  he  was  convinced, 
that  such  islands  are  formed  from  shoals,  or  coral  banks,  and, 
consequently,  that  they  are  always  increasing. 

After  leaving  Palmcrston's  Island  Captain  Cook  steered  to  the 
west,  with  a  view  of  making  the  best  of  his  way  to  Annamooka. 
During  his  course,  the  showers  were  so  copious,  that  our  naviga- 
tors saved  a  considerable  quantity  of  water.  Finding  that  a 
greater  supply  could  be  obtained  by  the  rain  in  one  hour,  than 
could  be  gotten  by  distillation  in  a  month,  the  captain  laid  aside 
the  still  as  a  thing  which  was  attended  with  more  trouble  than 
profit.  At  this  time,  the  united  heat  and  moisture  of  the 
weather,  in  addition  to  the  impossibility  of  keeping  the  ships 
dry,  threatened  to  be  noxious  to  the  health  of  our  people.  It 
was,  however,  remarkable,  that  neither  the  constant  use  of  salt 
food,  nor  the  vicissitudes  of  climate,  were  productive  of  any  evU 


m 

1  111 


m 


imt 


3U6 


CAPTAIN    cook's 


eflfects.  The  ugh  the  only  material  refreshment  our  voyagers  haa 
received,  since  their  leaving  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  was  that 
which  they  had  procured  at  New  Zealand,  there  was  not,  as  yet, 
a  single  sick  person  on  board.  This  happy  situation  of  things 
was  undoubtedly  owing  to  the  unremitting  attention  of  our 
commander,  in  seeing  that  no  circumstance  was  neglected, 
which  could  contribute  to  the  preservation  of  the  health  of  his 
company. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  Captain  Cook  touched  at  the  Island  of 
Komango  ;  and,  on  the  1st  of  May,  he  arrived  at  Annamooka. 
The  station  he  took  was  the  very  same  which  he  had  occupied 
when  he  visited  the  country  three  years  before;  and  it  was  prob- 
ably almost  in  the  same  place  where  Tasman,  the  first  discoverer 
of  this  and  some  of  the  neighbouring  islands,  anchored  in  1643. 
A  friendly  intercourse  was  immediately  opened  with  the  natives, 
and  everything  was  settled  to  the  captain's  satisfaction.  He  re- 
ceived the  greatest  civilities  from  Toobou,  the  chief  of  Anna- 
mooka; and  Taipa,  a  chief  from  the  island  of  Komango,  attached 
himself  to  the  English  in  so  extraordimry  a  manner,  that,  in 
order  to  be  near  them  in  the  night,  as  well  as  in  the  day,  he  had 
a  house  brought  on  men's  shoulders,  a  full  quarter  of  a  mile,  and 
placed  close  to  the  shed,  which  was  occupied  by  our  party  on 
shore.  On  the  6th,  our  commander  was  visited  by  a  great  chief 
from  Tongataboo,  whose  name  was  Feenou,  and  who  was  falsely 
represented,  by  Taipa,  to  be  the  king  of  all  the  Friendly  Isles. 
The  only  interruption  to  the  harmony  which  subsisted  between 
our  people  and  the  natives  of  Annamooka  arose  from  the  thievish 
lisposition  of  many  of  the  inhabitants.  They  afforded  frequent 
opportunities  of  remarking  how  expert  they  were  in  the  business 
of  stealing.  Even  some  of  the  chiefs  did  not  think  the  profession 
unbecoming  their  dignity.  One  of  them  was  detected  in  carry- 
ing a  bolt  out  of  the  ship,  concealed  under  his  clothes;  for  which 
Captain  OoojiL  sentenced  him  to  receiye  a  dozen  lashes,  and  kept 


THIRD   VOYAGB. 


307 


lad 
and 


kept 


him  confined  till  he  had  paid  a  hog  for  his  liberty.  After  this 
act  of  justice,  our  navigators  were  no  longer  troubled  with 
thieves  of  rank :  but  their  servants,  or  slaves,  were  still  employed 
in  the  dirty  work;  and  upon  them  a  flogging  seemed  to  make  no 
greater  impression,  than  it  would  have  done  upon  the  mainmast. 
When  any  of  them  happened  to  be  caught  in  the  act,  so  far 
were  their  masters  from  interceding  in  their  favour,  that  they 
often  advised  our  gentlemen  to  kill  them.  This,  however,  being 
a  punishment  too  severe  to  be  inflicted,  they  generally  escaped 
without  being  punished  at  all ;  for  of  the  shame,  as  well  as  of 
the  pain  of  corporal  chastisement,  they  appeared  to  be  equally 
insensible.  At  length.  Captain  Gierke  invented  a  mode  of  treat- 
ment, which  was  thought  to  be  productive  of  some  good  effect. 
He  put  the  thieves  into  the  hands  of  the  barber,  and  completely 
shaved  their  heads.  In  consequence  of  this  operation,  they 
became  objects  of  ridicule  to  their  own  countrymen ;  and  our 
people,  by  keeping  them  at  a  distance,  were  enabled  to  deprive 
them  of  future  opportunities  for  a  repetition  of  their  rogue- 
ries. 

The  island  of  Annamooka  being  exhausted  of  its  articles  of 
food,  Captain  Cook  proposed,  on  the  11th,  to  proceed  directly 
for  Tongataboo.  From  this  resolution,  however,  he  was  diverted 
at  the  instance  of  Feenou,  who  warmly  recommended,  in  prefer- 
ence to  it,  an  island,  or  rather  group  of  islands,  called  Hapaee, 
lying  on  the  northeast.  There,  he  assured  our  voyagers,  they 
could  be  plentifully  supplied  with  every  refreshment,  in  the 
easiest  manner  ;  and  he  enforced  his  advice  by  engaging  to  at- 
tend them  thither  in  person.  Accordingly,  Hapaee  was  made 
choice  of  for  the  next  station  ;  and  the  examination  of  it  be- 
came an  object  with  the  captain,  as  it  had  never  been  visited  by 
any  European  ships. 

On  the  nth,  our  commander  arrived  at  Hapaee,  where  he  met 
witl-  a  moat  friendly  reception  from  the  inhabitants,  and  from 


.'-  y. 


IB 

1 

308 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


Earoui)a,  the  chief  of  the  island.  During  the  \ihole  stay  of  oar 
navigators,  the  time  was  spent  in  a  reciprocation  of  presents, 
civilities,  and  solemnities.  On  the  part  of  the  natives  were  dis- 
played single  combats  with  clubs,  wrestling  and  boxing-matches, 
female  combatants,  dances  performed  by  men,  and  night  enter- 
tainments of  singing  and  dancing.  The  English,  on  the  other 
hand,  gave  pleasure  to  the  Indians  by  exercising  the  mariners, 
and,  excited  their  astonishment  by  the  exhibition  of  fire-works. 
After  curiosity  had,  on  both  sides,  been  sufficiently  gratified, 
Captain  Cook  applied  himself  to  the  examination  of  Hapaee, 
Leefooga,  and  other  neighbouring  islands.  As  the  ships  were  re- 
turning,  on  the  31st,  from  these  islands  to  Annamooka,  the  Reso- 
lution was  very  near  running  full  upon  a  low  sandy  isle,  called 
Pootoo  Pootooa,  surrounded  with  breakers.  It  fortunately  hap- 
pened, that  the  men  had  just  been  ordered  upon  deck  to  put  the 
vessels  about,  and  were  most  of  them  at  their  stations  ;  so  that 
the  necessary  movements  were  executed  not  only  with  judgment 
but  also  with  alertness.  This  alone  saved  the  ship  and  her  com- 
pany from  destruction.  "  Such  hazardous  situations,"  says  the 
captain,  "  are  the  unavoidable  companions  of  the  man  who  goes 
upon  a  voyage  of  discovery." 

During  our  commander's  expedition  to  Hapaee,  he  was  intro- 
duced to  Poulaho,  the  real  king  of  the  Friendly  Isles  ;  in  whose 
presence  it  instantly  appeared  how  groundless  had  been  Feenou's 
pretensions  to  that  character.  Foenou,  however,  was  a  chief 
of  great  note  and  influence.  By  Poulaho  Captain  Cook  was  in- 
vited to  pass  over  to  Tongataboo,  which  request  he  complied 
with  after  he  had  touched  two  or  three  days  at  Annamooka. 
In  the  passage  the  Resolution  was  insensibly  drawn  upon  a  large 
flat,  on  which  lay  innumerable  coral  rocks  of  different  depths 
below  the  surface  of  the  water.  Notwithstanding  all  the  care 
end  attention  of  our  people  to  keep  her  clear  cf  them,  they  could 
not  Tevent  her  from  striking  on  one  of  these  rocks.    The  same 


the 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


309 


event  happened  to  the  Discovery  ;  but  foi  .unately  neither  of 
the  ships  stuck  fast,  or  received  any  damage. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  Captain  Cook  arrived  at  Tongataboo, 
where  the  king  was  waiting  for  him  upon  the  beach,  and  imme- 
diately conducted  him  to  a  small  but  neat  house,  which  he  was 
told,  was  at  his  service,  during  his  stay  upon  the  island.  The 
house  was  situated  a  little  within  the  skirts  of  the  woods,  and 
had  a  fine  large  area  before  it ;  so  that  a  more  agreeable  spot 
could  not  have  been  provided.  Our  commander's  arrival  at 
Tongataboo  was  followed  by  a  succession  of  entertainments, 
similar  to  those  which  had  occurred  at  Hapaee,  though  some- 
what diversified  in  circumstances,  and  exhibited  with  additional 
splendour.  The  pleasure,  however,  of  the  visit  was  occasionally 
Interrupted  by  the  thieveries  of  many  of  the  inhabitants.  Noth- 
ing could  prevent  their  plundering  our  voyagers,  in  every  quar- 
ter ;  and  they  did  it  in  the  most  daring  and  insolent  manner. 
There  was  scarcely  anything  which  they  did  not  attempt  to  steal ; 
and  yet,  as  the  crowd  was  always  great,  the  captain  would  not 
permit  the  sentinels  to  fire,  lest  the  innocent  should  suffer  with 
the  guilty. 

Captain  Cook,  on  the  19th,  made  a  distribution  of  the  ani- 
mals which  he  had  selected  as  presents  for  the  principal  men  of 
the  island.  To  Poulaho,  the  king,  he  gave  a  young  English 
bull  and  cow,  together  with  three  goats  ;  to  Marewagee,  a  chief 
of  consequence,  a  Cape  ram  and  two  ewes  ;  and  to  Feenou,  a 
horse  and  a  mare.  He  likewise  left  in  the  island  a  young  boar 
and  three  young  sows,  of  the  English  breed  ;  and  two  rabbits, 
a  buck  and  a  doe.  Omai,  at  the  same  time  was  instructed  to 
represent  the  importance  of  these  animals,  and  to  explain  as  far 
as  he  was  capable  of  doing  it,  the  manner  in  which  they  should 
be  preserved  and  treated.  Even  the  generosity  of  the  captain 
was  not  without  its  inconveniences.  It  soon  appeared  that  some 
were  dissatisfied  with  the  allotment  of  the  animals ;  for  next 


!f 

-  n 

I  -2 


U 


810 


CAPTAIN  cook's 


morning,  two  kids  and  two  turkey-cocks  were  missing  As  our 
commander  could  not  supppose  that  this  was  an  accidental  loss,  he 
determined  to  have  them  again.  The  first  step  he  took  was  to 
seize  on  three  canoes  that  happened  to  be  alongside  the  ships  ;  after 
which,  he  went  on  shore,  and  having  found  the  king,  his  brother 
Feenou,  and  some  other  chiefs,  he  immediately  put  a  guard  over 
them,  and  gave  them  to  understand,  that  they  must  remain 
under  restraint,  till  not  only  the  kid  and  the  turkeys,  but  the 
rest  of  the  things  which  at  different  times  had  been  stolen  from 
our  voyagers,  should  be  restored.  This  bold  step  of  Captain 
Cook  was  attended  with  a  very  good  effect.  Some  of  the  arti- 
cles which  had  been  lost  were  instantly  brought  back,  and  such 
good  assurances  were  given  with  regard  to  the  remainder,  that, 
in  the  afternoon,  the  chiefs  were  released.  It  was  a  happy  cir- 
cumstance, with  respect  to  the  transaction,  that  it  did  not  abate 
the  future  confidence  of  Poulaho  and  his  friends  in  the  captain's 
kind  and  generous  treatment. 

On  the  5th  of  July  was  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which,  however, 
in  consequence  of  unfavourable  weather,  was  very  imperfectly  ob- 
served. Happily,  the  disappointment  was  of  little  consequence, 
as  the  longitude  was  more  than  sufficiently  determined  by  lunar 
observations. 

Captain  Cook  sailed  from  Tongataboo  on  the  10th,  and,  two 
days  after,  came  to  anchor  at  the  island  of  Mlddleburgh,  or  Eooa, 
as  it  is  called  by  the  inhabitants.  Here  he  was  immediately  vis- 
ited by  Taoofa,  the  chief  with  whom  he  had  formerly  been 
acquainted.  The  intercourse  now  renewed  was  friendly  in  the 
highest  degree,  both  with  Taoofa  and  the  rest  of  the  natives  ; 
and  our  commander  endeavoured  to  meliorate  their  condition  by 
planting  a  pine-apple  and  sowing  the  seeds  of  melons,  and  other 
vegetables,  in  the  chief's  plantation.  To  this  he  was  encouraged 
by  a  proof  that  his  last  endeavours  had  not  been  wholly  unsuc- 
cessful.   He  had,  one  day,  served  up  to  him  at  his  dinner,  a  disb 


THIRD    VOYAGE. 


311 


of  turnips,  being  the  produce  of  the  seeds  which  he  ha.l  left  at 
Eooa  in  his  last  voyage. 

The  stay  which  Captain  Cook  made  at  the  Friendly  Islands 
was  between  two  and  three  months  ;  during  which  time,  some 
accidental  diflference  excepted,  there  subsisted  the  utmost  cordi- 
ality between  the  English  and  the  natives.  These  diflFerences  were 
never  attended  with  any  fatal  consequences  ;  which  happy  cir- 
cumstance was  principally  owing  to  the  unremitting  attention  of 
the  captain,  who  directed  all  his  measures  with  a  view  to  the  pre- 
vention of  such  quarrels  as  would  be  injurious  either  to  the 
inhabitants  or  to  his  own  people.  So  long  as  our  navigators 
staid  at  the  islands,  they  expended  very  little  of  their  sea  provi- 
sions, subsisting,  in  general,  upon  the  produce  of  the  country,  and 
carrying  away  with  them  a  quantity  of  refreshments,  sufficient  to 
last  till  their  arrival  at  another  station,  where  they  could  depend 
upon  a  fresh  supply.  It  was  a  singular  pleasure  to  our  com- 
mander, that  he  possessed  an  opportunity  of  adding  to  the  hap- 
piness of  these  good  Indians,  by  the  useful  animals  which  he  left 
among  them.  Upon  the  whole,  the  advantages  of  having  touched 
at  the  Friendly  Islands  were  very  great ;  and  Captain  Cook 
reflected  upoa  it  with  peculiar  satisfaction,  that  these  advantages 
were  obtained  without  retarding,  for  a  single  moment,  the  prose- 
cution of  the  great  object  of  his  voyage  ;  the  season  for  proceed- 
-ng  to  the  north  having  been  previously  lost. 

Besides  the  immediate  benefits  which  both  the  natives  and  the 
English  derived  from  their  mutual  intercourse  on  the  present 
occasion,  such  a  large  addition  was  now  made  to  the  geographi- 
cal knowledge  of  this  part  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  as  may  render 
no  small  service  to  future  navigators.  Under  the  denomination 
of  the  Friendly  Islands,  must  be  included  not  only  the  group  at 
Hapaee,  but  all  those  islands  that  have  been  discoveied  nearly 
under  the  same  meridian,  to  the  north,  as  well  as  some  others, 
which  thoug'i  they  have  never  hitherto  beeu  seen  by  any  Euro 


i^  ] 


I 


i  L 

il 


•I 

Ml 


i'^'i 


m 


>i  VI 


312 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


pean  Toyagers,  are  under  the  dominion  of  Tongataboo.  From  th* 
information  which  our  commander  received,  it  appears,  that  tliia 
Archipelago  is  very  extensive.  Above  one  hundred  ani  fifty 
islands  were  reckoned  by  the  natives,  who  made  use  of  bits  of 
leaves  to  ascertain  their  number  ;  and  Mr.  Anderson,  with  his 
usual  diligence  procured  all  their  names.  Fifteen  of  them  are 
said  to  be  high  or  hilly,  and  thirty-five  of  them  large.  Concern- 
ing the  size  of  the  thirty-two  which  were  unexplored,  it  can  only 
be  mentioned,  that  they  must  be  larger  than  Annamooka,  which 
was  ranked  among  the  smaller  isles.  Several,  indeed,  of  those 
which  belong  to  this  latter  denomination,  are  mere  spots,  without 
inhabitants.  Captain  Cook  had  not  the  least  doubt  but  that 
Prince  William's  Island,  discovered  and  so  named  by  Tasman, 
was  comprehended  in  the  list  furnished  by  the  natives.  He  had 
also  good  authority  for  believing  that  Keppel's  and  Boscawen's 
Islands,  two  of  Captain  Wallis's  discoveries  in  1765,  were  in- 
cluded in  the  same  list  ;  and  that  they  were  under  the  sover- 
eignty of  Tangataboo,  which  is  tae  grand  seat  of  government. 
It  must  be  left  to  future  navigators  to  extend  the  geography  of 
this  part  of  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  by  ascertaining  the  extent 
situation  and  size  of  nearly  a  hundred  islands  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, which  our  commander  had  no  opportunity  of  explor-ng. 

During  the  present  visit  to  the  Friendly  Islands,  large  addi- 
tions were  made  to  the  knowledge  which  was  obtained  in  the  last 
voyage,  of  the  natural  history  and  productions  of  the  country, 
and  the  manners  and  customs  of  its  inhabitants.  Though  it  does 
not  fall  within  the  plan  of  this  narrative  to  enter  into  a  detail  of 
the  particulars  recorded,  I  cannot  help  taking  notice  of  the 
explanation  which  Captain  Cook  has  given  of  the  thievish  disposi- 
tion of  the  natives.  It  is  an  explanation  which  reflects  honour 
upon  bis  sagacity,  humanity,  and  candour  ;  and  therefore  I  shall 
relate  it  in  his  own  words  :  "  The  only  defect,"  says  he,  "  sully 
ing  their  character,  that  we  know  of,  is  a  propensity  to  thieving  ; 


THIRD  VOYAGE. 


313 


to  which  we  found  those  of  all  ages,  and  both  sexes,  addicted,  to 
an  uncommon  degree.  It  should,  however,  be  considered,  that 
this  exceptionable  part  of  their  conduct  seems  to  exist  merely 
with  respect  to  us  ;  for,  in  their  general  intercourse  with  one 
another,  I  had  reason  to  be  of  opinion,  that  thefts  do  not  happen 
more  frequently  (perhaps  less  so)  than  in  other  countries,  the  dis- 
honest practices  of  whose  worthless  individuals  are  not  supposed 
to  authorise  any  indiscriminate  censure  on  the  whole  body  of  the 
people.  Great  allowances  should  be  made  for  the  foibles  of  these 
poor  natives  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  whose  minds  we  overpowered 
with  the  glare  of  objects,  equally  new  to  them  as  they  were  cap- 
tivating. Stealing,  among  civilized  nations  of  the  world,  may 
well  be  considered  as  denoting  a  character  deeply  stained  with 
moral  turpitude  ;  with  avarice,  unrestrained  by  the  known  rules 
of  right ;  and  with  profligacy,  producing  extreme  indigence,  and 
neglecting  the  means  of  relieving  it.  But  at  the  Friendly  and 
other  islands  which  we  visited,  the  thefts  so  frequently  committed 
by  the  native*",  of  what  we  had  brought  along  with  us,  may  be 
fairly  traced  to  less  culpable  motives.  They  seemed  to  arise 
solely  from  an  intense  curiosity  or  desire  to  possess  something 
which  they  had  not  been  accustomed  to  before,  and  belonging  to 
a  sort  of  people  so  different  from  themselves.  And  perhaps,  if  it 
were  possible,  that  a  set  of  beings,  seemingly  as  Ij  iperior  in  our 
judgment  as  we  are  in  theirs,  should  appear  among  us,  it  might  be 
doubted,  whether  our  natural  regard  to  justice  would  be  able  to 
restrain  many  from  falling  into  the  same  error.  That  I  have 
assigned  the  true  motive  for  their  propensity  to  this  practice., 
appears  from  their  stealing  everything  indiscriminately  at  first 
sight,  before  they  could  have  the  least  conception  of  converting 
their  prize  to  any  one  useful  purpose.  But  I  believe,  with  us,  no 
person  would  forfeit  his  reputation,  or  expose  himself  to  punish- 
ment, without  knowing,  beforehand,  how  to  employ  the  stolen 
goods.    Upon  the  whole,  the  pilfering  disposition  of  these  islan- 

14 


i«r! 


i' 


m 


■If 

'"A 

i  •'  !     Ml 

'I 


t  .i 


•  kV'I 


■',.  f  .1- 


814 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


ders,  though  certainly  disngreeable  and  troublesome  to  stranfrers, 
was  the  means  of  affording  us  some  information  as  to  the  quick- 
ness of  their  intellects. 

With  respect  to  the  religion  of  these  Indians,  Mr.  Anderson 
maintains,  that  they  have  very  proper  sentiments  concerning  the 
immateriality  and  immortality  of  the  soul  ;  and  thinks  himself 
suflSciently  authorised  to  absnrt,  that  they  do  not  worship  any- 
thing which  is  the  work  of  their  own  hands,  or  any  visible  part 
of  the  creation.  The  language  of  the  Friendly  Islands  has  the 
greatest  imaginable  conformity  with  that  of  New  Zealand,  of 
Wateeoo,  and  Mangeea.  Several  hundred  pf  the  words  of  it 
were  collected  by  Mr.  Anderson  ;  and  amongst  these  are  terms 
that  express  numbers  reaching  to  a  hundred  thousand.  Beyond 
this  limit  they  never  went,  and  probably  were  not  able  to  go 
farther ;  for  it  was  observed,  that  when  they  had  gotten  thus 
far,  they  commonly  used  a  word  which  expresses  an  indefinite 
number. 

On  the  ITth  of  July,  our  commander  took  his  final  leave  of 
the  Friendly  Islands,  and  resumed  his  voyage.  An  eclipse  was 
observed  in  the  night  between  the  20th  and  21st  ;  and  on  the 
8th  .of  August  land  was  discovered.  Some  of  the  inhabitants 
who  came  off  in  canoes  seemed  earnestly  to  invite  our  people  to 
go  on  shore  ;  but  Captain  Cook  did  not  think  proper  to  run  the 
risk  of  losing  the  advantage  of  a  fair  wind,  for  the  sake  of  exam- 
ining an  island,  which  appeared  to  be  of  little  consequence.  Its 
name,  as  was  learned  from  the  natives,  who  spoke  the  Otaheite 
language,  is  Toobouai. 

'  Pursuing  his  course,  the  captain  reached  Otaheite  on  the  12th, 
and  steered  for  Oheitepha  Bay,  with  an  intention  to  anchor  there, 
in  order  to  draw  what  refreshments  he  could  from  the  southeast 
part  of  the  island,  before  he  went  down  to  Matavia.  Omai'a 
first  reception  among  his  countrymen  was  not  entirely  of  a  flat- 
tering nature.    Though  several  persons  came  on  board  who  knew 


THIRD   VOTAOR. 


815 


hiro,  and  one  of  them  was  his  brother-in-law,  there  was  nothing 
remarkably  tender  or  striking  in  their  meeting.  An  interview 
which  Omni  had,  on  the  13th,  with  his  sister,  was  agreeable  to 
the  feelings  of  nature  ;  for  their  meeting  was  marked  with  expres< 
sions  of  tender  affection,  more  easy  to  be  conceived  than  described 
In  a  visit,  likewise,  which  he  received  from  en  aunt,  the  old  lady 
threw  herself  at  his  feet,  and  plentifully  bedewed  them  with  tears 
of  joy. 

Captain  Cook  was  informed  by  the  natives,  that,  since  he  was 
last  at  the  island,  in  1774,  two  ships  had  been  twice  in  the 
Oheitepha  Bay,  and  had  left  animals  in  the  country.  These,  on 
further  inquiry,  were  found  to  be  hogs,  dogs,  goats,  one  bull,  and 
a  ram.  That  the  vessels  which  had  visited  Otaheite  were  Span- 
ish, was  plain  from  an  inscription  that  was  cut  upon  a  wooden 
cross,  standing  at  some  distance  from  the  front  of  a  house  which 
had  been  occupied  by  the  strangers.  On  the  transverse  part  of 
the  cross  was  inscribed, 

Chbistcb  tincit. 


And  on  the  perpendicular  part, 

Carolus  III.  Imprrat.  1774. 

Our  commander  took  this  occasion  to  preserve  the  memory  o. 
the  prior  visits  of  the  English,  by  inscribing,  on  the  other  sido 
of  the  post, 

Georgius  tkrtius,  rex, 

Annis  1767, 

1769,  1778,  1774,  &  1777. 


m 


Whatever  might  be  the  intentions  of  the  Spaniards  in  their 
visit  to  the  island,  it  ought  to  be  remembered  to  their  honour, 
that  they  behaved  so  well  tc  the  inhabitants,  as  always  to  be 


...  i| 


816 


CAPTAIN  COOK  8 


Fpokcn  (f  in  the  strongest  expressions,  of  esteem  and  vcncra* 
tion. 

Captain  Cook  bad  at  this  time  an  important  affair  to  settle. 
As  he  knew  that  he  could  now  be  furnished  with  a  plentiful  sup- 
ply of  cocoa-nuts,  the  liquor  of  which  is  an  excellent  and  whole- 
some beverage,  he  was  desirous  of  prevailing  upon  his  people  to 
consent  to  their  being  abridged,  during  their  stay  at  Otaheite 
and  the  neighbouring  islands,  of  their  stated  allowance  of  spirits 
to  mix  with  water.  But  as  this  stoppage  of  a  favourite  article, 
without  assigning  some  reason  for  it,  might  occasion  a  general 
murmur,  he  thought  it  most  prudeut  to  assemble  the  ship's  com- 
pany, and  to  make  known  to  them  the  design  of  the  voyage,  and 
the  extent  of  future  operations.  To  animate  them  in  undertaking 
with  cheerfulness  and  perseverance  what  lay  before  them,  he  took 
notice  of  the  rewards  offered  by  parliament,  to  such  of  his  ma- 
jesty's subjects  as  should  first  discover  a  communication  between 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  in  any  direction  whatever,  in 
the  northern  hemisphere  ;  and  also  such  as  should  first  penetrate 
beyond  the  eighty-ninth  degree  of  northern  latitude.  The  cap- 
tain made  no  doubt,  he  told  them,  that  he  should  find  them  will- 
ing to  cooperate  with  him  in  attempting,  as  far  as  might  be 
possible,  to  become  entitled  to  one  or  both  of  these  rewards  ; 
but  that,  to  give  the  best  chance  of  success,  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  observe  the  utmost  economy  in  the  expenditure  of  the 
stores  and  provisions,  particularly  the  latter,  as  there  was  no  pro- 
bability of  getting  a  supply  anywhere,  after  leaving  these  islands. 
He  strengthened  his  argument,  by  reminding  them,  that,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  opportunity's  having  been  lost  of  getting  to  the 
north  this  summer,  the  voyage  must  last  at  least  a  year  longer 
than  had  originally  been  supposed.  He  entreated  them  to  con- 
sider the  various  obstructions  and  difiiculties  they  might  still 
meet  with,  and  the  aggravated  hardships  they  would  endure,  if 
it  should  be  found  necessary  to  put  them  to  short  allowance,  of 


THIRD    VOYAOK. 


317 


any  species  of  provisions,  in  a  cold  climate.  For  these  very  sub- 
stantial reasons,  he  submitted  to  them,  whether  it  would  not  be 
better  to  be  prudent  in  time,  and,  rather  than  to  incur  the  haz- 
ard  of  having  no  spirits  left,  when  such  a  cordial  would  most  be 
wanted,  to  consent  to  give  up  their  grog  now,  when  so  excellent 
a  liquor  as  that  of  cocoa-nuts,  could  be  substituted  in  its  place. 
In  conclusion,  our  commander  left  the  determination  of  the  mat* 
ter  entirely  to  their  own  choice. 

This  speech,  which  certainly  partook  much  of  the  nature  of 
true  eloquence,  if  a  discourse  admirably  calculated  for  persuasion 
be  entitled  to  that  character,  produced  its  full  effect  on  the  gen- 
erous minds  of  English  seamen.  Captain  Cook  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  finding  that  his  proposal  did  not  remain  a  single  moment 
under  consideration  ;  being  unanimously  and  immediately  ap- 
proved of,  without  the  least  objection.  By  our  comman'der'a 
order,  Captain  Clerke  made  the  same  proposal  to  his  people,  to 
which  they  likewise  agreed.  Accordingly,  grog  was  no  longer 
Berved,  excepting  on  Saturday  nights  ;  when  the  companies  of 
both  ships  had  a  full  allowance  of  it,  that  they  might  drink  the 
health  of  their  friends  in  England. 

On  the  24th  Captain  Cook  quitted  the  southeast  part  of  Ota- 
beite,  and  resumed  his  old  station  in  Matavia  Bay.  Immedi- 
ately upon  his  arrival,  he  was  visited  by  Otoo,  the  king  of  the 
whole  island,  and  their  former  friendship  was  renewed  ;  a  friend- 
ship which  was  continued  without  interruption,  and  cemented  by 
a  perpetual  succession  of  civilities,  good  oflBces,  and  entertain- 
ments. One  of  our  commander's  first  objects  was  to  dispose  of 
all  the  European  animals  which  were  in  the  ships.  Accordingly, 
he  conveyed  to  Oparee,  Otoo's  place  of  residence,  a  peacock  and 
hen  :  a  turkey  cock  and  hen,  one  gander  and  three  geese,  a  drake 
and  four  ducks.  The  geese  and  ducks  began  to  breed  before 
our  navigators  left  their  present  station.  Tiiere  were  already  at 
Otoo's,  several  goats,  and  the  Spanish  bull  ;  which  was  one  of 


>]U 


m 


iyj 


818 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


the  fiucst  animals  of  the  kind  that  was  e/er  seen.  To  the  bull 
Captain  Cook  sent  the  three  cows  he  had  on  board,  together 
with  a  bull  of  his  own ;  to  all  which  were  added  the  horse  and 
marc,  and  the  sheep  that  had  still  remained  in  the  vessels. 

The  captain  found  himself  lightened  of  a  very  heavy  burthen 
in  having  disposed  of  these  passengers.  It  is  not  easy  to  con- 
ceive the  trouble  and  vexation,  which  had  attended  the  convey- 
ance of  this  living  cargo,  through  such  various  hazards,  and  to  so 
immense  a  distance.  But  the  satisfaction  which  our  commander 
felt,  in  having  been  so  fortunate  as  to  fulGl  his  majesty's  humane 
designs,  in  sending  such  valuable  animals,  to  supply  the  wants  of 
two  worthy  nations,  afforded  him  an  ample  recompense  for  the 
many  anxious  hours  he  had  passed,  before  this  subordinate  object 
of  his  voyage  could  be  carried  into  execution. 

At  this  time,  a  war  was  on  the  point  of  breaking  out  between 
the  inhabitants  of  Eimeo  and  those  of  Otaheite  ;  and  by  the 
latter  Captain  Cook  was  requested  to  take  a  part  in  their  favour. 
With  this  request,  however,  though  enforced  by  frequent  and 
urgent  solicitations,  the  captain,  according  to  his  usual  wisdom, 
refused  to  comply.  He  alleged,  that  as  he  was  not  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  dispute,  and  the  people  of  Eimeo  had  never 
offended  him,  he  could  not  think  himself  e*^  liberty  to  engage  iu 
hostilities  against  them.  With  these  reasons  Otoo  and  most  of 
the  chiefs  appeared  to  be  satisfied  ;  but  one  of  them,  Towha,  was 
80  highly  displeased,  that  our  commander  never  afterwards  recov- 
ered his  friendship. 

Upon  the  present  occasion.  Captain  Cook  had  full  and  undenia- 
ble proof,  that  the  offering  of  human  sacrifices  forms  a  part  vf 
the  religious  institutions  of  Otaheite.  Indeed,  he  was  a  witness 
to  a  solemnity  of  this  kind  ;  the  process  of  which  he  had  parti- 
cularly described,  and  has  related  it  with  the  just  sentiments  of 
indignation  and  abhorrence.  The  unhappy  victim,  who  was  now 
offe^^d  to  the  object  of  worship,  seemed  to  be  a  middle-aged  man, 


i  < 


TUIRI)   VOYAGE. 


319 


ami  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  lowest  class  of  people.  Hut  the 
cnptain  could  not  learn,  after  all  his  inquirios,  whether  the 
wretch  had  been  fixed  upon  on  account  of  his  having  committed 
any  crime,  which  was  supposed  to  bo  deserving  of  death.  It  is 
certain,  that  a  choice  is  generally  made,  either  of  such  guilty 
persons  for  the  sacrifices,  or  of  common  low  fellows,  who  stroll, 
about  from  place  to  place,  without  any  visible  methods  of 
obtaining  an  honest  subsistence.  Those  who  are  devoted  to  suf- 
fer, are  never  apprised  of  their  fate,  till  the  blow  is  given,  that 
puts  an  end  to  their  being.  "Whenever  upon  any  particular 
emergency,  one  of  the  great  chiefs  considers  a  human  sacrifice  to 
be  necessary,  he  pitches  upon  the  victim,  and  then  orders  him  to 
be  suddenly  fallen  upon  and  killed,  either  with  clubs  or  stones. 
Although  it  should  be  supposed,  that  no  more  than  one  person  is 
ever  devoted  to  destruction  on  any  single  occasion,  at  Otaheite, 
it  will  still  be  found  that  these  occurrences  are  so  frequent,  as 
to  cause  a  shocking  waste  of  the  human  race  ;  for  our  comman- 
der counted  no  less  than  forty-nine  skulls  of  former  victims,  lying 
before  the  Moral,  where  he  had  seen  another  added  to  the  num- 
ber. It  was  apparent,  from  the  freshness  of  these  skulls,  that 
DO  great  length  of  time  had  elapsed,  since  the  wretches  to  whom 
they  belonged  had  been  offered  upon  the  altar  of  blood. 

There  is  reason  to  fear  that  this  custom  is  as  extensive  as  it 
is  horrid.  It  is  highly  probable,  that  it  prevails  throughout  the 
widely-diffused  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  ;  and  Captain  Cook 
had  particular  evidence  of  its  subsisting  at  the  Friendly  Islands. 
To  what  an  extent  the^ractice  of  human  sacrifices  was  carried 
in  the  ancient  world,  is  not  unknown  to  the  learned.  Scarcely 
any  nation  was  free  from  it  in  a  certain  state  of  society  ;  and,  as 
religious  reformation  is  one  of  the  last  efforts  of  the  human  mind, 
the  practice  may  be  continued,  even  when  the  manners  are 
otherwise  far  removed  from  savage  Tfe.  It  may  have  been  a 
long  time  before  civilization  has  made  Buch  a  progress  as  to 


% 


\  J 


,■■.>. 


r 


1     !•* 

■  .1  ri 

■  Vif 


320 


OAFTAIN   COOK  8 


deprive  superstition  of  its  cruelty,  and  to  divert  it  from  barbar- 
ous rites  to  ceremonies,  which,  though  foolish  enough,  are  com 
paratively  mild,  gentle,  and  innocent. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  an  accident  happened  which,  though 
slight  in  itself,  was  of  some  consequence  from  the  situation  of 
things.  A  young  ram  of  the  Cape  breed,  which  had  been  lambed 
and  brought  up  with  great  care  on  board  the  ship,  was  killed 
by  a  dog.  Desirous  as  Captain  Cook  was  of  propagating  so 
useful  a  race,  among  the  Society  Islands,  the  loss  of  a  ram  was 
a  serious  misfortune.  It  was  the  only  one  he  had  of  that 
breed  ;  and  of  the  English  breed  a  single  ram  was  all  that  re- 
mained. 

Captain  Cook  and  Captain  Gierke,  on  the  14th,  mounted  on 
horseback,  and  took  a  ride  round  the  plain  of  Matavia  to  the 
great  surprise  of  a  large  number  of  the  natives,  who  attended 
apon  the  occasion,  and  gazed  upon  the  gentlemen  with  as  much 
astonishment  as  if  they  had  been  Centaurs.  What  the  two  cap- 
tains had  begun  was  afterwards  repeated  every  day,  by  one  and 
another  of  our  people  ;  notwithstanding  which,  the  curiosity  of 
the  Otaheitans  still  continued  unabated.  They  were  exceedingly 
delighted  with  these  animals,  after  they  had  seen  the  use  which 
was  made  of  them.  Not  all  the  novelties  put  together,  which 
European  visitors  had  carried  amongst  the  inhabitants,  inspired 
them  with  so  high  an  idea  of  the  greatness  of  distant  nations. 

Though  Captain  Cook  would  not  take  a  part  in  the  quarrels 
between  the  islands,  he  was  ready  to  protect  his  particular 
friends,  when  in  danger  of  being  injured.  Towha,  who  com- 
manded the  expedition  against  Eimeo,  had  been  obliged  to  sub 
mit  to  a  disgraceful  accommodation.  Being  full  of  resentment 
on  account  of  his  not  having  been  properly  supported,  he  was 
said  to  have  threatened,  that  as  soon  as  the  captain  should  leave 
the  island,  he  would  join  his  forces  to  those  of  Tiaraboo,  and 
attack  Otoo,  at  Matavia  or  Oparre.    This  induced  our  com 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


321 


mandei  to  declare,  in  the  most  public  manner,  that  he  wan 
determined  to  espouse  the  interest  of  his  friend,  against  any  snch 
combination  ;  and  that,  whoever  presumed  to  assault  him,  should 
feel  the  weight  of  his  heavy  displeasure,  when  he  returned  again 
tj  Otaheite.  Captain  Cook's  declaration  had  probably  the 
desired  effect  ;  for,  if  Towha  had  formed  hostile  intentions,  no 
more  was  heard  of  the  matter.  <> 

The  manner  in  which  our  commander  was  freed  from  a  rheu- 
matic complaint,  that  consisted  of  a  pain  extending  from  the  hip 
to  the  foot,  deserves  to  be  recorded.  Otoo's  mother,  his  three 
sisters,  and  eight  other  women  went  on  board,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  undertaking  the  cure  of  his  disorder.  He  accepted 
of  their  friendly  offer,  had  a  bed  spread  for  them  on  the  cabin- 
floor,  and  submitted  himself  to  their  directions.  Being  desired 
to  lay  himself  down  amongst  them,  then,  as  many  of  them  as 
could  get  round  him  began  to  squeeze  him  with  both  hands, 
from  head  to  foot,  but  more  particularly  in  the  part  where  the 
pain  was  lodged,  till  they  made  his  bones  crack,  and  his  flesh 
become  a  perfect  mummy.  After  undergoing  this  discipline  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  he  was  glad  to  be  released  from  the 
women.  The  operation,  however,  gave  him  immediate  relief;  so 
that  he  was  encouraged  to  submit  to  another  rubbing  down 
before  he  went  to  bed  ;  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that  he 
was  tolerably  easy  all  the  succeeding:  night.  His  female  phy- 
sicians repeated  their  prescription  the  next  morning,  and  again 
in  the  evening  ;  after  which  his  pains  were  entirely  removed, 
and  the  cure  was  perfected.  This  operation,  which  is  calle(J 
romu.^  is  universally  practised  among  these  islanders  ;  being 
sometimes  performed  by  the  men,  but  :  .ore  generally  by  the 
women. 

Captain  Cook,  who  now  had  come  to  the  resolution  of  depart- 
ing soon  from  Otaheite,  accompanied,  on  the  27th,  Otoo  tc 
Oparre,  and  examined  the  cattle  and  poultry,  "/hich  he  had  coo- 

14* 


3^.  v. 


'4 


\  X 


322 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


signed  to  his  friend's  care  at  that  place.  Everything  was  in  a 
promising  way,  and  properly  attended.  The  captain  procured 
from  Otoo  four  goats  ;  two  of  which  he  designed  to  leave  at  Ulie- 
tea,  where  none  had  as  yet  been  introduced  ;  and  the  other  two 
he  proposed  to  reserve  for  the  use  of  any  islands  he  might  chance 
to  meet  with  in  his  passage  to  the  north.  On  the  next  day, 
Otoo  came  on  board,  and  informed  our  commander  that  he  had 
gotten  a  canoe,  which  he  desired  him  to  carry  home,  as  a  present 
to  the  Earree  rahie  no  Pretane.  This,  he  said,  was  the  only 
thing  he  could  send  which  was  worthy  of  his  majesty's  ac- 
ceptance. Captain  Cook  was  not  a  little  pleased  with  Otoo,  for 
this  mark  of  his  gratitude  ;  and  the  more,  as  the  thought  was 
entirely  his  own.  Not  one  of  our  people  had  given  him  the 
least  hint  concerning  it ;  and  it  showed,  that  he  was  fully  sensi- 
ble to  whom  he  stood  indebted  for  the  most  valuable  presents 
that  he  had  received.  As  the  canoe  was  too  large  to  be  taken 
on  board,  the  captain  could  only  thank  him  for  his  good  inten- 
tions ;  but  it  would  have  given  him  a  much  greater  satisfaction, 
if  his  present  could  have  been  accepted. 

During  this  visit  of  our  voyagers  to  Otaheite,  such  a  cofdial 
friendship  and  confidence  subsisted  between  them  and  the  natives, 
as  never  once  to  be  interrupted  by  any  untoward  accident.  Our 
commander  had  made  the  chiefs  fully  sensible,  that  it  was  their 
interest  to  treat  with  him  on  fair  and  equitable  terms,  and  to  ke,ip 
their  people  from  plundering  or  stealing.  So  great  was  Otoo's 
attachment  to  the  English,  that  he  seemed  pleased  with  the  idea 
of  their  having  a  permanent  settlement  at  Matavia  ;  not  consid- 
ering, that  from  that  time  he  would  be  deprived  of  his  kingdom, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  their  liberties.  Captain  Cook  had  too 
much  gratitude  and  regard  for  these  islanders,  to  wish  that  such 
an  event  should  ever  take  place.  Though  our  occasional  visits 
may,  in  some  respects,  have  been  of  advantage  to  the  natives,  he 
was  afraid  that  a  durable  establishment  ftmoug  them,  conducted 


THIRD   VOTAOE. 


323 


as  most  European  establishments  amongst  Indian  nations  have 
nnfortuuately  been,  would  give  them  just  cause  to  lament  that 
they  had  been  discovered  by  our  navigators.  It  is  not,  indeed, 
likely,  that  a  measure  of  this  kind  saould  at  any  time  seriously 
be  adopted,  because  it  cannot  serve  either  the  purposes  of  public 
ambition,  or  private  avarice  ;  and,  without  such  inducements,  the 
captain  has  ventured  to  pronoance  that  it  will  never  be  under- 
taken. 

From  Otaheite  our  voyagers  sailed,  on  the  30th,  to  Eimeo, 
where  they  came  to  an  anchor  on  the  same  day.  At  this  island, 
the  transactions  which  happened  were,  for  the  most  part,  very 
unpleasant.  A  goat,  which  was  stolen,  was  recovered  without 
any  extraordinary  diflficulty,  and  one  of  the  thieves  was,  at  the 
same  time,  surrendered  ;  being  the  first  instance  of  the  kind  that 
Ou:  commander  had  met  with  in  his  connexions  with  the  Society 
Islands.  The  stealing  of  another  goat  was  attended  with  an 
uncommon  degree  of  perplexity  and  trouble.  As  the  recovery 
of  it  was  a  matter  of  no  small  importance.  Captain  Cook  was 
determined  to  effect  this  at  any  rate  ;  and  accordingly  he  mada 
an  expedition  across  the  island,  in  the  course  of  which  he  set  fire 
to  six  or  eight  houses,  and  burned  a  number  of  war  canoes.  At 
last,  in  consequence  of  a  peremptory  message  to  Maheine,  tho 
chief  of  Eimeo,  that  not  a  single  canoe  should  be  left  in  the 
country,  or  an  end  be  put  to  the  contest,  unless  the  animal  in 
his  possession  should  be  restored,  the  goat  was  broughn,  back. 
This  quarrel  was  as  much  regretted  on  the  part  of  the  captain, 
as  it  could  be  on  that  of  the  natives.  It  grieved  him  to  reflect, 
that,  after  refusing  the  pressing  solicitations  of  his  frieuds  at 
Otaheite  to  favour  their  invasion  of  this  islar»d,  he  should  fiud 
himself  so  speedily  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  engaging  in  hos- 
tilities against  its  inhabitants  ;  and  in  such  hostilities  as,  perhaps, 
had  been  more  injurious  to  them  than  Towha's  expedition. 
On  the  nth  of  October,  the  ships  departed  from  Eimeo,  and 


'■  •;  "il' 


» i,,  -i 

mm 


.5    ^1^: 


■;ii 


>^m 


V 


•n  >!» 


824 


CAPTAIN   COOk'b 


the  next  day  arrired  at  Owharre  Harbour,  on  the  west  side  of 
Huaheine.  The  grand  business  of  our  commander  at  this  island 
was  the  settlement  of  Omai.  In  order  to  obtain  the  consent  of 
the  chiefs  of  the  island,  the  affair  was  conducted  with  great 
solemnity.  Omai  dressed  himself  very  properly  on  the  occasion  ; 
brought  with  him  a  suitable  assortment  of  presents  ;  went 
through  a  variety  of  religious  ceremonies  ;  and  made  a  speech,  the 
topics  of  which  had  been  dictated  to  him  by  our  commander.  The 
result  of  the  negotiation  was,  that  a  spot  of  ground  was  assigned 
him,  the  extent  of  which,  along  the  shore  of  the  harbour,  was 
about  two  hundred  yards  ;  and  its  depth  to  the  foot  of  the  hill 
somewhat  more.  A  proportionable  part  of  the  hill  was  included 
in  the  grant.  This  business  having  been  adjusted  in  a  satisfac- 
tory manner,  the  carpenters  of  both  ships  were  employed  in 
building  a  small  house  for  Omai,  in  which  he  might  secure  his 
European  commodities.  At  the  same  time,  some  of  the  Eng- 
lish made  a  garden  for  his  use,  in  which  they  planted  shaddocks, 
vines,  pine-apples,  melons  and  the  seeds  of  csveral  other  vege- 
table articles.  All  of  these  Captain  Cook  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  in  a  flourishing  state  before  he  left  the  island. 

At  Huaheine,  Omai  found  a  brother,  a  sister,  and  a  brother- 
in-law,  by  whom  he  was  received  with  great  regard  and  tender- 
ness. But  though  these  people  were  faithful  and  affectionate  in 
their  attachment  to  him,  the  captain  discovered,  with  concern, 
that  they  were  of  too  little  consequence  in  the  island  to  be  cap- 
able of  rendering  him  any  positive  service.  They  had  not  either 
authority  or  influence  to  protect  his  person  or  property  ;  and  in 
such  a  situation,  there  was  reason  to  apprehend  that  he  might 
be  in  danger  of  being  stripped  of  all  h'j  possessions  as  soon  as 
he  should  cease  to  be  supported  by  the  power  of  the  English. 
To  prevent  this  evil,  if  possible,  our  commander  advised  him  to 
conciliate  the  favour  and  engage  the  patronage  and  protection 
of  two  or  three  of  the  principal  chiefs,  by  a  proper  distribution 


THIRD   TOT  AG  K. 


826 


of  some  of  his  moveables  ;  with  which  advice  he  prndeutly  com- 
plied. Captain  Cook,  however  did  not  entirely  trust  to  the  oper- 
ations of  gratitude,  but  had  recourse  to  the  more  forcible  motive 
of  intimidation.  With  this  view,  he  took  every  opportunity  of 
signifying  to  the  inhabitants  that  it  was  his  intention  to  return  to 
the  island  again,  after  being  absent  the  usual  time  ;  and  that  if 
he  did  not  find  Omai  in  the  same  state  of  security  in  which  he  left 
him,  all  those  whom  he  should  then  discover  to  have  been  his 
enemies,  should  feel  the  weight  of  his  resentment.  As  the  natives 
had  now  formed  an  opinion  that  their  country  would  be  visited  by 
the  ships  of  England  at  stated  periods,  there  was  ground  to  hope, 
that  this  threatening  declaration  would  produce  no  inconsiderable 
efifect. 

When  Omai's  house  was  near  finished,  and  many  of  his  move- 
ables were  carried  ashore,  a  box  of  toys  excited  the  admiration 
of  the  multitude  in  a  much  higher  degree  than  articles  of  a  more 
useful  nature.  With  regard  to  his  pots,  kettles,  dishes,  plates, 
driuking-mugs,  glasses,  and  the  whole  train  of  domestic  accom- 
modation, w'^'ch  in  our  estimation  are  so  necessary  and  impor- 
tant, scarcely  any  one  of  his  countrymen  would  condescend  to 
look  upon  them.  Omai  himself,  being  sensible  that  these  pieces 
of  English  furniture  would  be  of  no  great  consequence  in  his 
present  situation,  wisely  sold  a  number  of  them,  among  the  peo- 
ple of  the  ships,  for  hatchets,  and  other  iron  tools  which  had  a 
more  intrinsic  value  in  this  part  of  the  world,  and  would  give 
him  a  more  distinguished  superiority  over  those  with  whom  he 
was  Lo  pass  the  remainder  of  his  days. 

Omai's  family,  when  he  settled  at  Huaheine,  consisted  of  eiglit 
or  ten  persons,  if  that  can  be  called  a  family  to  which  a  single 
female  did  not  as  yet  belong,  nor  was  likely  to  belong,  unless  its 
masters  should  become  less  volatile.  There  was  nothing  in  his 
present  temper  which  seemed  likely  to  dispose  him  to  look  out  for 
a  wife  ;  and  perhaps  it  is  to  be  apprehended,  that  his  residence  m 


m 

1 

hm 

ibij 

\ 


^m 

Ai 

9 

III 

11 

526 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


England  had  not  contributed  to  improve  his  taste  fur  the 
sober  felicity  of  a  domestic  union  with  eom^'  woman  of  his 
country. 

The  European  weapons  of  Omai  consisted  of  a  musket,  bay 
onet  and  cartouch-box  ;  a  fowling-piece,  two  pair  of  pistols,  ana 
two  or  three  swords  or  cutlasses.  With  the  possession  of  these 
warlike  implements,  he  was  highly  delighted  ;  and  it  was  only  to 
gratify  his  eager  desire  for  them  that  Captain  Cook  was  induced 
to  make  him  such  presents.  The  captain  would  otherwise  have 
thought  it  happier  for  him  to  be  without  fire-arms,  or  any  Euro- 
pean weapons,  lest  an  imprudent  use  of  them  (and  prudence  was 
not  his  most  distinguishing  talent)  should  rather  increase  his 
dangers  than  establish  his  superiority.  Tliough  it  was  no  small 
satisfaction  to  our  commander  to  reflect,  that  he  bad  brought 
Omai  safe  back  to  the  very  spot  from  which  he  had  been  taken, 
this  satisfaction  was,  nevertheless,  somewhat  diminished  by  the 
consideration,  that  his  situation  might  now  be  less  desirable  than 
it  was  before  his  connexion  with  the  English.  It  was  to  be 
feared,  that  the  advantages  which  he  had  derived  from  his  visit 
to  England  would  place  him  in  a  more  hazardous  state,  with 
respect  to  his  personal  safety. 

Whatever  faults  belonged  to  Omai's  character,  they  were 
overbalanced  by  his  good-nature  and  his  gratitude.  He  had  a 
tolerable  share  of  understanding,  but  it  was  not  accompanied 
with  application  and  perseverance  ;  so  that  his  knowledge  of 
things  was  very  general,  and  in  most  instances  imperfect  :  nor 
was  he  a  man  of  much  observation.  He  would  not,  therefore, 
be  able  to  introduce  many  of  the  arts  and  customs  of  England 
among  his  countrymen,  or  greatly  to  improve  those  to  which 
they  have  long  been  habituated.  Captain  Cook,  however,  was 
confident,  that  he  would  endeavour  to  bring  to  perfection  the 
fruits  and  vegetables  which  had  been  planted  in  his  garden. 
This  of  itself  would  be  no  small  acquisition  to  the  natives.    But 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


827 


Che  greatest  benefit  which  these  islands  are  likely  to  receive 
from  Omai's  travels,  will  be  in  the  animals  that  are  left  upon 
them  ;  and  which,  had  it  not  been  for  his  coming  to  England, 
they  might  probably  never  have  obtained.  When  these  multi- 
ply, of  which  Captain  Cook  thought  there  was  little  reason  to 
doubt,  Otaheite  and  the  Society  Islands  will  equal,  if  not  exceed, 
any  country  in  the  known  world,  for  plenty  of  provisions. 

Before  our  commander  sailed  from  Huaheine  he  had  the  fol- 
lowing inscriptiou  cut  on  the  outside  of  Omai's  house  : 


Gkoroius  Tertics  Rex,  2  Novrmbrib,  1777. 
(  Rrsolction,  Jac.  Cook,  Pr. 
(  Discovert,  Car   Clerki,  Pr. 


Naves 


.'It 


u-s 


On  the  same  day,  Omai  took  his  final  leave  of  our  navigators,  in 
doing  which,  he  bade  farewell  to  all  the  oflBcers  in  a  very  affec- 
tionate manner.  He  sustained  himself  with  a  manly  resolution, 
till  he  came  to  Captain  Cook,  when  his  utmost  efforts  to  conceal 
his  tears  failed  ;  and  he  continued  to  weep  all  the  time  that  the 
boat  was  conveying  him  to  shore.  Not  again  to  resume  the  sub- 
ject, I  shall  here  mention,  that  when  the  captain  was  at  Ulietea 
a  fortnight  after  this  event,  Omai  sent  two  men  with  the  satis- 
factory intelligence,  that  he  remained  undisturbed  by  the  people 
of  Huaheine,  and  that  everything  succeeded  well  with  him, 
excepting  in  the  loss  of  his  goat,  which  had  died  in  kidding. 
This  intelligence  was  accompanied  with  a  request,  that  another 
goat  might  be  given  him,  together  with  two  axes.  Our  com- 
mander, esteeming  himself  happy  in  having  an  additional  oppor- 
tunity of  serving  him,  despatched  the  messengers  back  with  the 
axes  and  a  couple  of  kids,  male  and  female,  which  were  spared 
for  him  out  of  the  Discovery. 

The  fate  of  the  two  youths,  who  had  been  brought  from  New 
Zealand,  must  not  be  forgotten.  As  they  were  extremely  desi- 
rous of  continuing  with  our  people.  Captain  Cook  would  have 


f      : 


328 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


carried  them  to  England  with  him,  if  there  had  appeared 
the  most  distant  probability  of  their  ever  being  restored  to 
their  own  countiy.  Tiarooa,  the  eldest  of  them,  was  a  very 
well-disposed  young  man,  with  strong  natural  sense,  and  a  ca- 
pacity of  receiving  any  instruction.  He  seemed  to  be  fully  con- 
Tinced  of  the  inferiority  of  New  Zealand  to  these  islands,  and 
resigned  himself,  though  not  without  some  degree  of  reluctance, 
to  end  his  days,  in  ease  and  plenty,  at  Huaheine.  The  other 
bad  formed  so  strong  an  attachment  to  our  navigatoi,  that  it 
was  necessary  to  take  him  out  of  the  ship,  and  carry  him  ashore 
by  force.  This  necessity  was  the  more  painful,  as  he  was  a 
witty,  smart  boy  ;  and,  on  that  account,  a  great  favourite  on 
board.     Both  these  youths  became  a  part  of  Omai's  family. 

Whilst  our  voyagers  were  at  Huaheine,  the  atrocious  conduct 
of  one  particular  thief  occasioned  so  much  trouble,  that  the  cap- 
tain punished  him  more  severely  than  he  had  ever  done  any  cul- 
prit before.  Besides  having  his  head  and  beard  shaved,  he 
ordered  both  his  ears  to  be  cut  off,  and  then  dismissed  him.  It 
can  scarcely  be  reflected  upon  without  regret,  that  our  comman- 
der should  have  been  compelled  to  such  an  act  of  severity. 

On  the  3rd  of  November,  the  ships  came  to  an  anchor  in  the 
harbour  of  Ohamaneno,  in  the  island  of  Ulietea.  The  observa- 
tories being  set  up  on  the  6th,  and  the  necessary  instruments 
having  been  carried  on  shore,  the  two  following  days  were  em- 
ployed in  making  astronomical  observations.  In  the  night  be- 
tween the  12th  and  13th,  John  Harrison,  a  marine,  who  was  sen- 
tinel at  the  observatory,  deserted,  taking  with  him  his  arms  and 
iccoutrements.  Captain  Cook  exerted  himself  on  this  occasion, 
A'ith  his  usual  vigour.  He  went  himself  in  pursuit  of  the  deser- 
tpr,  who,  after  sopae  evasion  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants,  was 
surrendered.  He  was  found  sitting  between  two  women,  with 
the  rausjcet  lying  before  hini  ;  and  all  the  defence  he  was  able 
to  make  was,  that  he  had  been  enticed  away  by  the  natives.  As 


THIRD    VOYAGE. 


329 


this  account  was  probably  the  truth,  aud  as  it  appeared,  besides, 
that  he  had  remained  upon  his  post  till  within  ten  minutes  of  the 
time  when  he  was  to  have  been  relieved,  the  punishment  which 
the  captain  inflicted  upon  him  was  not  very  severe. 

Some  days  after,  a  still  more  troublesome  affair  happened,  of 
the  same  nature.  On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  the  captain  was* 
informed  that  a  midshipman  and  a  seaman,  both  belonging  to 
the  Discovery,  were  missing ;  and  it  soon  appeared,  that  they 
had  gone  away  in  a  canoe  in  the  preceding  evening,  and  had 
now  reached  the  other  end  of  the  island.  As  the  midshipman 
was  known  to  have  expressed  a  desire  of  remaining  at  these 
islands,  it  was  evident  that  he  and  his  companion  had  gone  off 
with  that  intention.  Though  Captain  Gierke  immediately  set 
out  in  quest  of  them  with  two  armed  boats  and  a  party  of  marines, 
his  expedition  proved  fruitless,  the  natives  having  amused  him 
the  whole  day  with  false  intelligence.  The  next  morning  an  ac- 
count was  brought  that  the  deserters  wore  at  Otaha.  As  they 
were  not  the  only  persons  in  the  ships  who  wishedto  spend  their 
days  at  these  favourite  islands,  it  became  necessary,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  preventing  any  further  desertion,  to  recover  them  at 
all  events.  Captain  Cook,  therefore,  in  order  to  convince  the 
inhabitants  that  he  was  in  earnest,  resolved  to  go  after  the  fugi- 
tives himself ;  to  which  measure  he  was  determined,  from  hav- 
ing observed,  in  repeated  instances,  that  the  natives  had  sel- 
dom offered  to  deceive  him  with  false  information. 

Agreeably  to  this  resolution,  the  captain  set  out  the  next 
morning,  with  two  armed  boats,  being  accompanied  by  Oreo,  the 
rliief  of  Ulietea,  and  proceeded  immediately  to  Otaha.  But 
when  he  had  gotten  to  the  place  where  the  deserters  were  ex- 
pected to  be  found,  he  was  acquainted  they  were  gonie  over  to 
Bolabola.  Thither  our  commander  did  not  think  proper  to  fol- 
low them,  having  determined  to  pursue  another  measure,  which 
he  judged  would  more  effectually  answer  his  purpose.    This  mea 


'  "m 


i    1 


•  ■hJ 


330 


CAFfAIN   cook's 


sure  was  tc  put  the  chiefs  son,  daughter,  and  Bon- in-law,  into 
confinement,  and  to  detain  them  till  the  fugitives  should  be  re* 
stored.  As  to  Oreo,  he  was  informed,  that  he  was  at  liberty  to 
leave  the  ship  whenever  he  pleased,  and  to  take  such  methods 
as  he  esteemed  best  calculated  to  get  our  two  men  back  ;  that, 
if  he  succeeded,  his  friends  should  be  released  ;  if  not,  that 
Captain  Cook  was  resolved  to  carry  them  away  with  him.  The 
captain  added,  that  the  chiefs  own  conduct,  as  well  as  that  of 
many  of  his  people,  in  assisting  the  runaways  to  escape,  and  in 
enticing  others  to  follow  them,  would  justify  any  step  that  could 
be  taken  to  put  a  stop  to  such  proceedings.  In  consequence  of 
this  explanation  of  our  commander's  views  and  intentions,  Oreo 
zealously  exerted  himself  to  recover  the  deserters  ;  for  which 
purpose  he  despatched  a  canoe  to  Bolabola,  with  a  message  to 
Opoony,  the  sovereign  of  that  island,  acquainting  him  with  what 
had  happened,  and  requesting  him  to  seize  the  two  fugitives,  and 
send  them  back.  The  messenger,  who  was  no  less  a  person  than 
the  father  of  Pootoe,  Oreo's  son-in-law,  came,  before  he  set  out, 
to  Captain  Cook,  to  receive  his  commands,  which  were,  not  to 
return  without  the  runaways,  and  to  inform  Opoony,  that,  if 
they  had  left  Bolabola,  he  must  despatch  canoes  in  pursuit  of 
them,  till  they  should  finally  bo  restored.  These  vigorous  mea- 
sures were  at  length  successful.  On  the  28th,  the  deserters 
were  brought  back  ;  and  as  soon  as  they  were  on  board,  the 
three  prisoners  were  released.  Our  commander  would  not  have 
acted  so  resolutely  on  the  present  occasion,  had  he  not  been  pe- 
culiarly solicitous  to  save  the  son  of  a  brother  officer  from  be- 
ing lost  to  his  country. 

While  this  affair  was  in  suspense,  some  of  the  natives,  from 
their  anxiety  on  account  of  the  coniinement  of  the  chiefs  rela- 
tions, had  formed  a  design  of  a  very  serious  nature  ;  which  was 
no  less  than  to  seize  upon  the  persons  of  Captain  Gierke,  and 
Captain  Cook.    With  regard  to  Captain  Clerke,  they  made  no 


1^1 

if 


TUIBD   VOYAGE. 


331 


secret  of  speaking  of  their  scheme,  the  day  after  it  was  disco- 
vered.  But  their  first  and  grand  plan  of  operations  was  to  lay 
hold  of  Captain  Cook.  It  was  his  custom  to  bathe  every  even- 
ing in  fresh  water  ;  in  doing  which  he  frequently  went  alone, 
and  always  without  arms.  As  the  inhabitants  expected  him  to 
go,  as  usual,  on  the  evening  jf  the  26th,  they  bad  determined  at 
that  time  to  make  him  a  prisoner.  But  he  had  thought  it  pru- 
dent, after  confining  Oreo's  family,  to  avoid  putting  himself  in 
their  power  ;  and  had  cautioned  Captain  Clerke  and  the  officers 
not  to  venture  themselves  far  from  the  ships.  In  the  course  of 
the  afternoon,  the  chief  asked  Captain  Cook  three  several  times, 
if  he  would  not  go  to  the  bathing-place  ;  and  when  he  found  at 
last,  that  the  captain  could  not  be  prevailed  upon,  he  went  off, 
with  all  his  people.  He  was  apprehensive,  without  doubt,  that 
the  design  was  discovered  ;  though  no  suspicion  of  it  was 
then  entertained  by  our  commander,  who  imagined,  that  the 
natives  were  seized  with  some  sudden  fright,  from  which  as  usual 
they  would  quickly  recover.  On  one  occasion,  Captain  Clerke 
and  Mr.  Gore  were  in  particular  danger.  A  party  of  the  inhab- 
itants armed  with  clubs  advanced  against  them  ;  and  their 
safety  was  principally  owing  to  Captain  Clerke's  walking  with  a 
pistol  in  his  hand,  which  he  once  fired.  The  discovery  of  the 
conspiracy,  especially  so  far  as  respected  Captain  Clerke  and 
Mr.  Gore,  was  made  by  a  girl,  whom  one  of  the  officers  had 
brought  from  Huaheine.  On  this  account,  those  who  were 
charged  with  the  execution  of  the  design  were  so  greatly  offend- 
ed with  her  that  they  threatened  to  take  away  her  life,  as  soon 
as  our  navigators  should  leave  tho  island  ;  but  proper  methods 
were  pursued  for  her  security.  It  was  a  happy  circumstance 
that  the  affair  was  brought  to  light ;  since  a  scheme  could  not 
have  been  carried  into  effect  without  being,  in  its  consequences, 
productive  of  much  distress  and  calamity  to  the  natives. 

Whilst  Captain  Cook  was  at  Ulietea,  he  was  visited  by  his  old 


'  m 


332 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


friend  Oree,  who,  in  the  former  voyages,  was  chief,  or  rather  re- 
gent, of  Huaheine.  Notwithstanding  his  now  being,  in  some  dc' 
greo,  reduced  to  the  rank  of  a  private  person,  be  still  preserved 
his  consequence,  never  appeared  without  a  numerous  body  of  at- 
tendants, and  was  always  provided  with  such  presents  as  indi- 
cated his  wealth,  and  were  highly  acceptable. 

The  last  of  the  Society  Islands  to  which  our  commander  sailed 
was  Bolabola,  where  he  arrived  on  the  8th  of  December.  His 
chief  view  in  passing  over  to  this  island  was  to  procure  from  its 
monarch,  Opoony,  an  anchor  which  Monsieur  de  Bougainville  had 
lost  at  Otaheite,  and  which  had  been  conveyed  to  Bolabola.  It 
was  not  from  a  want  of  anchors,  that  Captain  Cook  was  desirous 
of  making  the  purchase,  but  to  convert  the  iron  of  which  it  con- 
sisted into  a  fresh  assortment  of  trading  articles,  these  being  now 
very  much  exhausted.  The  captain  succeeded  in  his  negotiation, 
and  amply  rewarded  Opoony  for  giving  up  the  anchor. 

Whilst  our  commander  was  at  Bolabola,  he  received  an  account 
of  those  military  expeditions  of  the  people  of  this  country,  which 
be  had  heard  much  of  in  each  of  bis  three  voyages,  and  which 
had  ended  in  the  complete  conquest  of  Ulietea  and  Otaha.  The 
Bolabola  men,  in  consequence  of  these  enterprises,  were  in  the 
highest  reputation  for  their  valour  ;  and,  indeed,  were  deemed  so 
invincible,  as  to  be  the  objects  of  terror  to  all  the  neighbouring 
islands.  It  was  an  addition  to  their  fame,  that  their  country  was 
of  such  small  extent,  being  not  more  than  eight  leagues  in  com- 
pass, and  not  half  so  large  as  Ulietea. 

Captain  Cook  continued  to  the  last  his  zeal  for  furnishing  the 
natives  of  the  South  Sea  with  useful  animals.  At  Bolabola, 
where  there  was  already  a  ram,  which  had  originally  been  left  by 
the  Spanish  at  Otaheite,  he  carried  ashore  an  ewe,  that  had  been 
brought  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  be  rejoiced  in  the 
prospect  of  laying  a  foundation,  by  this  present,  for  a  breed  of 
sheep  in  the  Island.    He  left  also  at  Ulietea,  under  the  care  of 


THIItD   VOYAGE. 


83^ 


Oreo,  an  English  boar  and  sow,  and  two  goats.  It  may,  ihcro- 
fore,  be  regarded  as  certain,  that  not  only  Otahcite,  but  all  the 
neighbournig  islands,  will,  in  a  few  years,  have  iheir  race  of  hogs 
considerably  improved  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  they  will  be  stocked 
with  all  the  valuable  animals,  which  have  been  transported 
thither  by  their  European  visitors.  When  this  shall  bo  accom- 
plished, no  part  of  the  world  will  equal  these  islands,  in  the  var- 
iety and  abundance  of  the  refreshments  which  they  will  be  able 
to  afford  to  navigators  ;  nor  did  the  captain  know  any  place  that 
excelled  them,  even  in  their  present  state. 

It  is  an  observation  of  great  importance,  that  the  future  felicity 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Otahcite,  and  the  Society  Islands,  will  not  a 
little  depend  on  their  continuing  to  be  visited  from  Europe.  Oar 
commander  could  not  avoid  expressing  it  as  his  real  opinion,  that 
it  would  have  been  far  better  for  these  poor  people  never  to  have 
known  our  superiority  in  the  accommodations  and  arts  which 
render  life  comfortable,  than,  after  once  knowing  it,  to  be  again 
left  and  abandoned  to  their  original  incapacity  of  improvement. 
If  the  intercourse  between  them  and  us  should  wholly  be  discon- 
tinued, they  cannot  be  restored  to  that  happy  mediocrity,  in  which 
they  lived  before  they  were  first  discovered.  It  seemed  to  Cap- 
tain Cook,  that  it  was  become,  in  a  manner,  incumbent  upon  the 
Europeans  to  visit  these  islands  once  in  three  or  fonr  years,  in 
order  to  supply  the  natives  with  those  conveniences  which  we 
have  introduced  among  them,  and  for  which  we  have  given  them 
a  predilection.  Perhaps  they  may  heavily  feel  the  want  of  such 
occasional  supplies,  when  it  may  be  too  late  to  go  back  to  their 
old  and  less  perfect  contrivances  ;  contrivances  which  they  now 
despise,  and  which  they  have  discontinued  since  the  introduction 
of  ours.  It  is,  indeed,  to  be  apprehended,  that  by  the  time  that 
the  iron  tools  of  which  they  had  become  possessed,  are  worn  out, 
they  will  have  almost  lost  the  knowledge  of  their  own.  In  this 
last  verage  of  our  commander,  a  stone  hatchet  was  as  rare  u 


mm 


334 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


thing  among  the  inhabitants  as  an  iron  one  was  eight  years 
before :  and  a  chisel  of  bone  or  stone  was  not  to  be  seen. 
Spike-nails  had  succeeded  in  their  place  ;  and  of  spike-nails  the 
natives  were  weak  enough  to  imagine  they  had  gotten  an  inex- 
haustible store.  Of  all  our  commodities,  axes  and  hatchets 
remained  the  most  unrivalled  ;  and  they  must  ever  be  held  in 
the  highest  estimation  through  the  whole  of  the  islands.  Iron 
tools  are  so  strikingly  useful,  and  are  now  become  so  necessary 
to  the  comfortable  existence  of  the  inhabitants,  that  should  they 
cease  to  receive  supplies  of  them,  their  situation,  in  consequence 
of  their  neither  possessing  the  materials,  nor  being  trained  up  to 
the  art  of  fabricating  them,  would  be  rendered  completely  miser- 
able. It  is  impossible  to  reflect  upon  this  representation  of  things 
without  strong  feelings  of  sympathy  and  concern.  Sincerely  it 
is  to  be  wished,  that  such  may  be  the  order  of  events,  and  such 
the  intercourse  carried  on  with  the  southern  islanders,  that,  instead 
of  finally  suffering  by  the  acquaintance  with  us,  they  may  rise  to 
a  higher  state  of  civilization,  and  permanently  enjoy  blessings  far 
superior  to  what  they  had  heretofore  known. 

Amidst  the  various  subordinate  employments  which  engaged 
the  attention  of  Captain  Cook  and  his  associfitcs.  the  great  objects 
of  their  duty  were  never  forgotten.  No  opportunity  was  lost  of 
making  astronomical  and  nautical  observations  ;  the  consequence 
of  which  was,  that  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  places  where 
the  ship  anchored,  the  variations  of  the  compass,  the  dipp  of  the 
needle,  and  the  state  of  the  tides,  were  ascertained  with  an  accu- 
racy that  forms  a  valuable  addition  to  philosophical  science,  and 
will  be  of  eminent  service  to  future  navigators. 

Our  commander  was  now  going  to  take  his  final  departure 
from  Otahcite  and  the  Society  Islands.  Frequently  as  they  had 
been  visited,  it  might  have  been  imagined,  that  their  religious, 
political,  and  domestic  regulations,  manners  and  customs,  mnst, 
by  this  time,  be  thoroughly  understood.    A  great  accession  of 


m 


THIED   TOTAGE. 


335 


knowledge  was  undoubtedly  gained  in  the  present  ToyAge  ;  and 
yet  it  was  confessed,  both  by  C.iptairi  Cook  and  Mr.  Anderson, 
that  their  accounts  of  things  were  still  imperfect  in  various  re- 
Bpect«  ;  and  that  they  continued  strangers  to  many  of  the  most 
important  institutions  which  prcT^iled  among  the  natiyes. 
There  was  one  part  of  the  character  of  several  of  these  people, 
on  which  the  well-regulated  ra.nd  of  the  captain  would  not  per- 
mit him  to  enlarge.  "  Too  much,"  says  he,  "  seems  to  have 
been  already  known,  and  published  in  our  former  relations,  about 
some  of  the  modes  of  life,  that  made  Otaheite  so  agreeable  an 
abode  to  many  on  board  our  ships  ;  and  if  I  could  now  add  an^r 
finishing  strokes  to  a  picture,  the  outlines  of  which  have  beem 
already  drawn  with  sufficient  accuracy,  I  should  still  have  hesi- 
tated to  make  this  journal  the  place  for  exhibiting  a  view  of 
licentious  manners,  which  could  only  serve  to  disgust  those  for 
whose  information  I  write." 

From  Mr.  Anderson's  account  of  the  Otaheitans,  it  appears, 
that  their  religious  system  is  extensive,  and  in  various  instances 
singular.  They  do  not  seem  to  pay  respect  to  one  God  as 
possessing  preeminence,  but  believe  in  a  plurality  of  divinities, 
all  of  whom  are  supposed  to  be  very  powerful.  In  different 
parts  of  the  island,  and  in  the  neighbouring  islands,  the  inhabi- 
tants choose  those  deities  for  the  objects  of  their  worship,  who, 
they  think,  are  most  likely  to  protect  them,  and  to  supply  all 
their  want?.  ^  If,  however,  they  are  disappointed  in  their  expec- 
tations, they  deem  it  no  impiety  to  change  their  divinity,  by  hav- 
ing recourse  to  another,  whom  they  hope  to  find  more  propi- 
tious and  successful.  In  general,  their  notions  concerning  Deity 
are  extravagantly  absurd.  With  regard  to  the  soul,  they  believe 
it  according  to  Mr.  Anderson,  to  be  both  immaterial^  and  immor- 
tal ;  but  he  acknowledges,  that  they  are  far  from  entertaining  those 
sublime  expectations  of  future  happiness  which  the  Christian  re 
velation  affords,  and  which  eT  reason  alone,  duly  exercise*!, 
might  teach  us  to  expect. 


:lr 


■f  w 


336 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


Although  seventceD  months  had  elapsed  since  Captain  Cook's 
departure  from  England,  during  which  time  he  had  not,  upon  the 
whole,  been  unprofitably  employed,  he  wa;s  sensible  that,  with 
respect  to  the  principal  object  of  his  instructions,  it  was  now  only 
-the  commencement  of  his  voyage  ;  and  that,  therefore,  his  atten- 
tion w/is  to  be  called  anew  to  every  circumstance  which  might 
contribute  towards  the  safety  of  his  people,  and  the  ultimate 
success  of  the  expedition.  Accordingly,  he  had  examined  into 
the  stt  te  of  the  provisions,  whilst  he  was  at  the  Society  Islands, 
and,  as  soon  as  he  had  left  them,  and  had  gotten  beyond  the 
extent  of  his  former  discoveries,  Le  ordered  a  survey  to  be  taken 
of  all  the  boatswain's  and  carpenter's  stores  which  were  in  the 
ships,  that  he  might  be  ^uliy  informed  of  their  quantity  and  con- 
dition ;  and,  by  that  moans,  know  how  to  use  them  to  the  great- 
est advantage. 

It  was  on  the  8th  of  December,  the  very  day  on  v/hich  he  had 
touched  there,  that  our  commander  sailed  from  Bolabola  In 
the  night  between  the  22d  and  23d,  he  crossed  the  line,  in 
the  longitude  of  203°  15'  east  ;  and  on  the  24th,  land  was  dis- 
covered, which  was  found  to  be  one  of  those  low  uninhabited 
islands,  that  are  so  frequent  in  this  ocean.  Here  our  voyagers 
were  successful  in  catching  a  large  quantity  of  turtle,  which  sup- 
plied them  with  an  agreeable  refreshment;  and  here,  on  the  28th, 
an  eclipse  of  the  sun  was  observed  by  Mr.  Bay  ley,  Mr.  King,  and 
Captain  Cook.  On  account  of  the  season  of  the  y^ar,  the  cap- 
tain called  the  land  where  he  now  was,  and  which  he  judged  to 
be  about  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues  in  circumference,  Christmas 
Island.  By  his  order,  several  cocoa-nuts  and  yams  were  planted, 
and  some  L?elon-seeds  sown  in  proper  places  ;  and  a  b)ttle  waa 
'eft  contaiDiiig  this  inscription  : 

aKOROinS  TRRTIITS,    REX,    81    DKGRMBRI8,  1*7^?. 
RK80LIITI0N,    JAC.    COOK,  PR. 


JIAVKS 


(  RK 
(  DIE 


DISCOVERT,    Ci  ..    CLERKg,   TR, 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


837 


On  the  2d  of  January,  11 18,  the  ships  resumed  their  course  to 
the  northward,  and  though  several  evidences  occurred  of  the 
vicinity  of  land,  none  was  discovered  till  the  18th,  when  an 
island  made  its  appearance,  bearing  northeast  by  east.  Soon 
after,  more  land  was  seen,  lying  towards  the  north,  and  en- 
tirely detached  from  the  former.  The  succeeding  day  was 
distinguished  by  the  discovery  of  a  third  island,  in  the 
direction  of  west-northwest,  arid  as  far  distant  as  the  eye  could 
reach.  In  steering  towards  the  second  island,  our  voyagers 
had  some  doubt  whether  the  land  before  them  was  inhabited; 
but  this  matter  was  sp=edily  cleared  up,  by  the  putting  off  of 
some  canoes  from  the  shore,  containing  from  three  to  six  men 
each.  Upon  their  approach,  the  English  were  agreeably  sur- 
prised to  find  that  they  spoke  the  language  of  Otaheite,  and 
of  the  other  countries  which  had  lately  been  visited.  These 
people  were  at  first  fearful  of  going  ou  ooard  ;  but  when,  on 
the  20th,  some  of  tliera  took  courage,  and  ventured  to  do  it, 
they  expressed  an  astonishment,  on  entering  the  ship,  which 
Captain  Cook  had  never  experienced  in  the  natives  of  any  place, 
♦iuring  the  whole  course  of  his  several  voyages.  Their  eyes  con- 
tinually flew  from  object  to  object ;  and,  by  the  wildness  of  their 
looks  and  gestures,  they  fully  manifested  their  entire  ignorance 
with  relation  to  everything  they  saw,  and  strongly  marked  to 
our  navigators,  that,  till  this  time,  they  had  never  been  visited 
by  Europeans,  or  been  acquainted  with  any  of  our  commodities, 
excepting  iron.  Even  with  respect  to  iron,  it  was  evident  that 
they  had  only  heard  of  it,  or  at  most,  had  known  it  in  some 
small  quantity,  brought  to  them  at  a  distant  period  ;  for  all  they 
nnderstood  concerning  it  was,  that  it  was  a  substance  much  bet- 
ter adapted  to  the  purposes  of  cutting,  or  the  boring  of  holes, 
than  anything  their  own  country  produced.  The  ceremonies  on 
entering  the  ship,  their  gestures  and  motions,  and  their  manner 
of  singing,  were  similar  to  those  which  our  voyagers  had  been 
Accustomed  to  sp^  in  the  places  lately  visited. 


5I| 


338 


CAPTAIN    (300K  8 


There  was,  likowise,  a  farther  ch'cuinstanco  in  which  these 
people  perfectly  resembled  the  other  islanders  ;  and  that  was,  in 
their  endeavouring  to  steal  whatever  came  within  their  reach  ; 
or  rather  to  take  it  openly,  as  what  would  either  not  be  resented, 
or  not  hindered.  The  English  soon  convinced  them  of  their 
mistake,  by  keeping  such  a  watchful  eye  over  them,  that  they 
afterwards  were  obliged  to  be  less  active  in  appropriating  to 
themselves  every  object  that  struck  upon  their  fancy,  and  excited 
the  desire  of  possession. 

One  order  given  by  Captain  Cook  at  this  island  was,  that 
none  of  the  boats'  crews  should  be  permitted  to  go  on  shore  ; 
the  reason  of  which  was,  that  he  might  do  everything  in  his 
power  to  prevent  the  importation  of  a  fatal  disease,  which  un- 
happily had  already  been  communicated  in  other  places.  With 
the  same  view,  he  directed  that  all  female  visitors  should  be 
excluded  from  the  ships.  Another  necessary  precaution,  taken 
by  the  captain,  was  a  strict  injunction,  that  no  person,  known  to 
be  capable  of  propagating  disorder,  should  be  sent  upon  duty 
out  of  the  vessels.  Thus  zealous  was  the  humanity  of  our  com- 
mander, to  prevent  an  irreparable  injury  from  being  done  to  the 
natives.  There  are  men  who  glory  in  their  shame,  and  who  do 
not  care  how  much  evil  they  communicate.  Of  this  there  was 
an  instance  at  Tongataboo,  in  the  gunner  of  the  Discovery,  who 
bad  been  stationed  on  shore  to  manage  the  trade  for  that  ship  ; 
and  who,  though  he  was  well  acquainted  with  his  own  situation, 
continued  to  have  connexions  with  different  women.  His  com- 
panions expostulated  with  him  without  effect,  till  Captain  Gierke, 
liearing  of  the  dangerous  irregularity  of  his  conduct,  ordered 
him  on  board.  If  I  knew  tlie  rascal's  name,  I  would  hang  it  up, 
as  far  as  lies  in  my  power,  to  everlasting  infamy. 

Mr.  Williamson  being  sent  with  the  boats  to  search  for  water, 
and  attempting  to  land,  the  inhabitants  came  down  in  such  num- 
bers, and  were  so  violent  In  their  endeavours  to  seize  upon  the 
oars,  muskets,  and,  in  short  everything  they  could  lay  hold  of. 


THIRD    VOYAGE. 


339 


that  he  was  obliged  to  fire,  by  which  one  man  was  killed.  This 
uuLappj  circumstance  was  not  kii^wu  to  Captain  Cook  till  after 
he  had  left  the  island  ;  so  that  all  his  measures  were  directed  as 
if  nothing  of  the  kind  had  happened. 

When  the  ships  were  brought  to  an  anchor,  our  commander 
went  on  shore  ;  and,  at  the  very  instant  of  his  doing  it,  the  col- 
lected body  of  the  natives  all  fell  flat  upon  their  faces,  and 
continued  in  that  humble  posture,  till,  by  expressive  signs,  he 
prevailed  upon  them  to  rise.  Other  ceremonies  followed  ;  and 
the  next  day  a  trade  was  set  on  foot  for  hogs  and  potatoes, 
which  the  people  of  the  island  gave  in  exchange  for  nails  and 
pieces  of  iron,  formed  into  something  like  chisels.  So  far  was 
any  obstruction  from  being  met  with  in  watering,  that,  on  the 
contrary,  the  inhabitants  assisted  our  men  in  rolling  the  casks 
to  and  from  the  pool ;  and  readily  performed  whatever  was  re- 
quired. 

Affairs  thus  going  on  to  the  captain's  satisfaction,  he  made  an 
excursion  into  the  country,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Anderson  and 
Mr.  Webber,  the  former  of  whom  was  as  well  qualified  to  de- 
scribe with  the  pen,  as  the  latter  was  to  represent  with  his 
pencil,  whatever  might  occur  worthy  of  observation.  In  this  ex- 
cursion, the  gentlemen,  among  other  objects  that  called  for  their 
attention,  found  a  Morai.  On  the  return  of  our  commander,  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  finding  that  a  brisk  trade  for  pigs,  fowls  and 
roots  was  carrying  on  with  the  greatest  good  order,  and,  without 
any  attempt  to  cheat  or  steal,  on  the  part  of  the  natives.  The 
rapacious  disposition  they  at  first  displayed,  was  entirely  cor- 
rected by  their  conviction  that  it  could  not  be  exercised  with 
impunity.  Among  the  articles  which  they  brought  to  barter, 
the  most  remarkable  was  a  particular  sort  of  cloak  and  cap,  that 
might  be  reckoned  elegant,  even  in  countries  where  dress  is  emi- 
nently the  object  of  attention.  The  cloak  was  richly  adorned 
with  red  and  yellcw  feathers,  which  in  themselves  were  highly 


'r^M 


0 


'OSi 


840 


OArrAIN  COOK  8 


bcanlifal,  and  the  newness  and  freshness  of  which  added  not  a 
little  to  their  beauty. 

On  the  22d,  a  cirenmstance  occurred,  which  gave  the  English 
room  to  suspect  that  the  people  of  the  island  are  eaters  of  human 
flesh  Not,  however,  to  rest  the  belief  of  the  existence  of  so 
horrid  a  practice  on  the  foundation  of  suspicion  only,  Captain 
Cook  was  anxious  to  inquire  into  the  truth  of  the  fact,  the^  result 
of  which  was  its  being  fully  confirmed.  An  old  man,  in  particu- 
lar, who  was  asked  npon  the  subject,  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
and  seemed  to  laugh  at  the  simplicity  of  such  a  question.  His 
answer  was  equally  affirmative  on  a  repetition  of  the  inquiry  ; 
and  he  added,  that  the  flesh  of  men  \ms  excellent  food,  or,  as  he 
expressed  it,  "  savoury  eating."  It  is  understood  that  enemies 
slain  in  battle  are  the  sole  objects  of  this  abominable  custom. 

The  island  at  which  our  voyagers  had  now  touched,  was  called 
Atooi  by  the  natives.  Near  it  was  another  island,  named  Onee- 
heow,  where  our  commander  came  to  an  anchor  on  the  29th  of 
the  month.  The  inhabitants  were  found  to  resemble  those  of 
Atooi  in  their  dispositions,  manners,  and  customs  ;  and  proofs, 
too  convincing,  appeared,  that  the  horrid  banquet  of  human  flesh 
is  here  as  much  relished,  amidst  plenty,  as  it  is  in  New  Zealand. 
From  a  desire  of  benefiting  these  people,  by  furnishing  them  with 
additional  articles  of  food,  the  captain  left  them  a  ram  goat  and 
two  ewes,  a  boar  and  sow  pig  of  the  English  breed,  and  the 
seeds  of  melons,  pumpkins  and  onions.  These  benevolent  presents 
would  have  been  made  to  Atooi,  the  larger  island,  had  not  our 
'/lavigators  been  unexpectedly  driven  from  it  by  stress  of  weather. 
Though  the  soil  of  Oneeheow  seemed  in  general  poor,  it  was  ob- 
Kervable,  that  the  ground  was  covered  with  shrubs  and  plants, 
Bome  of  which  perfumed  the  air  with  a  more  delicious  fragrancy, 
than  what  Captain  Cook  had  met  with  at  any  other  of  the  coun- 
tries that  had  been  visited  by  him  in  this  part  of  the  world. 

It  is  a  curie QS  circumstance,  with  regard  to  the  islands  in  the 


# 


% 


THIRD  VOTAOE. 


341 


Pacific  Ocean  which  the  late  European  voyages  have  added  to 
the  geography  of  the  globe,  that  they  have  generally  been  found 
to  lie  in  groups,  or  clusters.  The  single  intermediate  islands, 
which  have  as  yet  been  discovered,  are  few  in  proportion  to  the 
others  ;  though  there  are  probably  many  more  of  them  that  are 
still  unknown,  and  may  serve  as  steps,  by  which  the  several  clus- 
ters are,  in  some  degree,  connected  together.  Of  the  Archipe- 
lago now  first  visited,  there  were  five  only  with  which  our  com- 
mander became  at  this  time  acquainted.  The  names  of  tiiese,  as 
given  by  the  natives,  were  Woahoo,  A  tool,  Oneeheow,  Oreehoua, 
and  Tahoora.  To  the  whole  group  Captain  Cook  gave  the  appel- 
lation of  Sandwich  Islands,  in  honour  of  his  great  friend  and 
patron,  the  Earl  of  Sandwich. 

Concerning  the  island  of  Atooi,  which  is  the  largest  of  the  five, 
and  which  was  the  principal  scene  of  the  captain's  operations,  he 
collected,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Anderson,  a  considerable 
degree  of  information.  The  laud,  as  to  its  general  appearance, 
does  not  in  the  least  resemble  any  of  the  islands  that  our  voy- 
agers had  hitherto  visited  within  the  tropic,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  equator  ;  excepting  so  far  as  regards  its  hills  near  the  cen- 
tre, which  slope  gentle  towards  the  sea.  Hogs,  dogs,  and  fowls, 
were  the  only  tame  domestic  animals  that  were  here  found  ;  and 
these  were  of  the  same  kind  with  those  which  exist  in  the  coun- 
tries of  the  South  Pacific  Ocean.  Among  the  inhabitants  (who 
are  of  a  middle  stature,  and  firmly  made),  there  is  a  more 
remarkable  equality  in  the  size,  colour,  and  figure  of  both  sexes, 
than  our  commander  had  observed  in  most  other  places.  They 
appeared  to  be  blessed  with  a  frank  and  cheerful  disposition ;  and, 
in  Captain  Cook's  opinion,  they  are  equally  free  from  the  fickle 
levity  which  distinguishes  the  natives  of  Otalieite,  and  the  sedate 
cast  discernible  amongst  many  of  those  at  Tongataboo.  It  is  a 
very  pleasing  circumstance  in  their  character,  that  they  pay  a 
particular  attention  to  their  women,  and  readily  lend  assistance 


I  ,'' 


M 


342 


CAPTAIN   COOK'B 


to  their  wives  in  tlio  tender  oflBces  of  matei  nal  duty.  On  all 
occasions,  they  seemed  to  be  deeply  impressed  with  a  conscious- 
ness of  their  own  inferiority  ;  being  alike  strangers  to  the  pre- 
posterous pride  of  the  more  polished  Japanese,  and  of  the  ruder 
Greenlander.  Contrary  to  the  general  practice  of  the  countries 
that  had  hitherto  been  discovered  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Sandwich  Islands  have  not  their  ears  perforated  ;  nor 
have  they  the  least  idea  of  wearing  ornaments  in  them,  though, 
in  other  respects,  thoy  ai3  suflBciently  fond  of  adorning  their  per- 
sons. In  everything  manufactured  by  them  there  is  an  uucom- 
Tion  degree  of  neatness  and  ingenuity  ;  and  the  elegant  form  and 
polish  of  some  of  their  fishing-hooks  could  not  be  exceeded  by 
any  European  artist,  even  if  be  should  add  all  his  knowledge  in 
design  to  the  number  and  convenience  of  his  tools.  From  what 
was  seen  of  their  agriculture,  sufficient  proofs  were  aflforded,  that 
they  are  not  novices  in  that  art ;  and  that  the  quantity  and 
goodness  of  their  vegetable  productions  may  as  much  be  attri- 
buted to  skilful  culture,  as  to  natural  fertility  of  soil.  Amidst 
all  the  resemblances  between  the  natives  of  Atooi,  and  those  of 
Otaheite,  the  coincidence  of  their  languages  was  the  most  strik- 
ing ;  being  almost  word  for  word  the  same.  Had  the  Sandwich 
Islands  been  discovered  by  the  Spainards,  at  an  early  period, 
they  would  undoubtedly  have  taken  advantage  of  so  excellent  a 
situation,  and  have  made  use  of  them  as  refreshing  places  for 
their  ships,  which  sail  annually  from  Acapnia  for  Manilla.  Happy, 
too,  would  it  have  been  for  Lord  Anson,  if  he  had  known,  that 
there  existed  a  group  of  islands,  half  way  i-ctween  America  anJ 
Tinian  where  all  his  wants  could  have  been  efiectnally  supplied, 
and  the  different  hardships  to  which  he  was  exposed  have  been 
avoided. 

On  the  second  of  February,  our  navigators  pursued  their 
coarse  to  the  ncthward,  in  doing  which  the  incidents  they  met 
wilh  were  almost  entirely  of  a  nautical  kind.    The  long-looked 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


843 


for  coast  of  New  Albion  was  seen  on  the  1th  of  March,  the  ships 
being  then  in  the  latitude  of  44°  33'  north,  and  in  the  longitude 
of  235°  20'  cast.  As  the  vessels  ranged  along  the  west  side  of 
Amei'ica,  Captain  Cook  gave  names  to  several  capes  and  head- 
-lands  which  appeared  in  sight.  At  length,  on  the  29tb,  the  c&\>- 
tain  came  to  an  anchor  at  an  inlet,  where  the  appearance  of  the 
country  differed  much  from  what  had  been  seen  before  ;  being 
full  of  mountains,  the  summits  of  which  were  covered  with  snow ; 
while  the  valleys  between  them,  and  the  grounds  on  the  sea-coast, 
high  as  well  as  low,  were  covered  to  a  considerable  breadth,  with 
high,  straight  trees,  which  formed  a  beautiful  prospect,  as  of  one 
vast  forest.  It  was  immediately  found,  that  the  coast  was  inha- 
bited ;  and  there  soon  came  off  to  the  Resolution  three  canoes, 
containing  eighteen  of  the  natives  ;  who  could  not,  however,  be 
prevailed  upon  to  venture  themselves  on  board.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  they  displayed  a  peaceable  disposition  ;  showed  great 
readiness  to  part  with  anything  they  had,  in  exchange  for  what 
was  offered  them  ;  and  expressed  a  stronger  desire  for  iron,  than 
for  any  other  of  our  commercial  articles,  appearing  to  be  perfectly 
acquainted  with  the  use  of  that  metal.  From  these  favourable 
circumstances,  our  voyagers  had  reason  to  hope,  that  they  should 
find  this  a  comfortable  station  to  supply  all  their  wants,  and  to 
make  them  forget  the  hardships  and  delays  which  they  had 
experienced  during  a  constant  succession  of  adverse  winds,  and 
boisterous  weather,  almost  ever  since  their  arrival  upon  the  coast 
of  America. 

The  ships  having  happily  found  an  excellent  inlet,  the  coasts 
of  which  appeared  to  be  inhabited  by  a  race  of  people  who  were 
disposed  to  maintain  a  friendly  intercourse  with  strangers,  Cap 
lam  Cook's  first  object  was  to  search  for  a  commodious  harbour; 
and  he  had  little  trouble  in  discovering  what  he  wanted.  A 
trade  having  immediately  commenced,  the  articles  which  the 
inhabitants  offered  to  sale  were  the  skins  of  various  animals,  such 


^ 


!-tlS 


344 


CAPTAIN   COOK*B 


as  bears,  wolves,  foxes,  deer,  raccoons,  pole-cats,  martins  ;  an.!,  in 
particular,  of  the  sea-otters.     To  these  were  added,  besides  the 
skins  in  their  natural  shape,  garments  made  of  them  ;  another 
sort  of  clothing,  formed  from  the  bark  of  a  tree  ;  and  various 
different  pieces  of  workmanship.    But  of  all  the  articles  brought 
tj  market,  the  most  extraordinary  were  human  skulls,  and  hands 
not  yet  quite  stripped  of  their  flesh  ;  some  of  which  had  evident 
marks  of  their  having  been  upon  the  fire.    The  things  which  the 
natives  took  in  exchange  for  their  commodities,  were  knives,  chis- 
els, pieces  of  iron  and  tin,  nails,  looking-glasses,  buttons,  or 
any  kind  of  metal.     Glass  beads  did  not  strike  their  imagina- 
tions ;  and  cloth  of  every  sort  they  rejected.     Though  commerce, 
in  general,  was  carried  on  with  mutual  honesty,  there  were  some 
among  these  people  who  were  as  much  inclined  to  thievery  as  the 
islanders  in  the  Southern  Ocean.    They  were,  at  the  same  time, 
far  more  dangerous  thieves  ;  for,  possessing  sharp  iron  instru- 
ments, they  could  cut  a  hook  from  a  tackle,  or  any  other  piece  of 
iron  from  a  rope,  the  moment  that  the  backs  of  the  English  were 
turned.     The  dexterity  with  which  they  conducted  their  opera- 
tions of  this  nature,  frequently  eluded  the  most  cautious  viligance. 
Some  slighter  instances  of  deception,  in  the  way  of  traffic,  Cuj> 
tain  Cook  thought  it  better  to  bear  with,  than  to  make  them  the 
foundation  of  a  quarrel ;  and  to  this  he  was  the  rather  determined, 
as  the  English  articles  were  now  reduced  to  objects  of  a  trifling 
nature.     In  the  progress  of  the  commerce,  the  natives  would 
deal  for  nothing  but  metal  ;  and,  at  length,  brass  was  so  eagerly 
sought  for,  in  preference  to  iron,  that,  before  our  navigators 
'  quitted  the  place,  scarcely  a  bit  cf  it  was  left  in  the  ships, 
excepting  what  belonged  to  the  necessary  instruments.    Whole 
suits  of  clothes  were  stripped  of  every  button  ;  bureaus  were 
deprived  of  their  furniture  ;  copper  kettles,  tin  cauisters,  candle- 
sticks, and  whatever  of  the  like  kind  could  be  found,  all  went  to 
wreck  ;  sc  that  these  Americans  became  possessors  jf  a  greater 


THIRD   VOTAOB. 


845 


medley  and  variety  of  things  from  our  people,  thai,  any  other 
nation  that  had  been  visited  in  the  course  of  the  voyage. 

Of  all  the  uncivilized  tribes  which  our  commander  hud  met 
with  in  his  several  navigations,  he  never  found  any  who  had  such 
strict  notions  of  their  having  a  right  t  j  the  exclusive  property  of 
everything  which  their  country  produces,  as  the  inhabitants  of 
the  sound  where  he  was  now  stationed.  At  first,  they  wanted 
to  be  paid  for  the  wood  and  water  that  were  carried  on  board  ; 
and  had  the  captain  been  npon  the  spot,  when  these  demands 
were  made,  he  would  certainly  have  complied  with  them  :  but 
the  workmen  in  his  absence,  maintained  a  different  opinion,  and 
refused  to  submit  to  any  such  claims.  When  some  grass,  which 
appeared  to  be  of  no  use  to  the  natives,  was  wanted  to  bo  cut, 
as  food  for  the  few  goats  and  sheep  which  still  remained  ou 
board,  they  insisted  that  it  should  be  purchased,  and  were  very 
unreasonable  in  their  terms  ;  notwithstanding  which  Captaiu 
Cook  consented  to  gratify  them,  as  far  as  he  was  able.  It  was 
always  a  sacred  rule  with  him,  never  to  take  any  of  the  property 
of  the  people  whom  he  visited,  without  making  them  an  ample 
compensation. 

The  grand  operation  of  our  navigators,  in  their  present  station, 
was  to  put  the  ships  into  a  complete  repair  for  the  prosecutiou 
of  the  expedition.  While  this  business  was  carrying  on,  our 
commander  took  the  opportunity  of  examining  every  part  of  the 
sound  ;  in  the  course  of  which  he  gained  a  farther  knowledge  of 
the  inhabitants,  who,  in  general,  received  him  with  great  civility 
In  one  instance  he  Lu'it  with  a  surly  chief,  who  could  not  be 
softened  with  presents,  though  he  condescended  to  accept  of 
them.  The  females  of  the  place  over  which  he  presided  showed 
a  more  agreeable  disposition  ;  for  some  of  the  young  womcu 
expeditiously  dressed  themselves  in  their  best  apparel,  and 
assembling  in  a  body,  welcoa  ed  the  English  to  their  village,  by 
joining  in  a  song,  which  was  far  from  being  harsh  or  disagree* 

16* 


f 


,v     i',i!l 


>4% 


m 


■-'I 


»>3|J 


'■.ij 


846 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


I 


t'" 


able.  On  ai.Jthcr  occasion,  the  captain  was  entertained  with 
singing.  Being  visited  by  a  number  of  strangers,  on  tlie  22d  of 
April,  as  they  advanced  towards  the  ships,  they  all  stood  np  in 
their  canoes,  and  began  to  sing.  Some  of  their  songs,  in  which 
the  whole  body  joined,  were  in  a  slow,  and  others  in  a  quicker 
time  ;  and  their  notes  were  atrompanied  with  the  most  regular 
motions  of  their  hands  ;  or  with  beating  in  concert,  with  their 
paddles,  on  the  sides  of  their  canoes  ;  to  which  were  added  other 
very  expressive  gestures.  At  the  end  of  each  song,  they  con- 
tinued silent  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  began  again,  sometimes 
pronouncing  the  word  Hooee !  forcibly  as  a  chorus. 

Among  the  natives  of  the  country,  there  was  one  chief  who 
attached  himself  to  our  commander  in  a  particular  manner. 
Captain  Cook  having,  at  parting,  bestowed  upon  him  a  small 
present,  received,  in  return,  a  beaver  skin,  of  much  greater  value. 
This  called  upon  the  captain  to  make  some  addition  to  his 
present,  with  which  the  chief  was  so  much  pleased,  that  he 
insisted  on  our  commander's  acceptance  of  the  beaver-skin  cloak 
which  he  then  wore  ;  and  of  which  he  was  particularly  fond. 
Admiring  this  instance  of  generosity,  and  desirous  that  he  should 
not  suffer  by  his  friendship,  the  captain  gave  him  a  new  broad 
sword,  with  a  brass  hilt ;  the  possession  of  which  rendered  him 
completely  happy. 

On  Captain  Cook's  first  arrival  in  this  inlet,  he  had  honoured 
it  with  the  name  of  King  George's  Sound  ;  but  he  afterwards 
found  that  it  is  called  Nootka  by  the  natives.  During  his  stay 
in  the  place,  he  displayed  his  usual  sagacity  and  diligence,  in 
conjunction  with  Mr.  Anderson,  in  collecting  everything  that 
could  be  learned  concerning  the  neighbouring  country  and  its 
inhabitants  ;  and  the  account  is  interesting,  as  it  exhibits  a  pic- 
ture of  productions,  people,  and  manners,  very  different  from 
what  had  occurred  in  the  Southern  Ocean.  I  can  only,  as 
on  former   occasions,  slightly  advert  to  a  few  of  the   more 


ter. 


THIRD   TOY  ACE. 


34^7 


leading  circumstances.  The  climate,  so  fur  as  our  navijrntnrs 
had  experience  of  it,  was  foand  to  be  in  an  eminent  degre« 
milder  than  that  on  the  east  coast  of  America,  in  the  same 
parallel  of  latitude  ;  and  it  was  remari<able,  that  the  thermome- 
ter, even  in  the  night,  never  fell  lower  than  42°  ;  while  in  the 
day  it  frequently  rose  to  60°.  With  regard  to  trees,  those  of 
which  the  woods  are  chiefly  composed,  are  the  Canadian  pine, 
the  white  cypress,  and  the  wild  pine,  with  two  or  three  different 
sorts  of  pine  that  are  less  common.  In  the  other  vegetable  pro- 
ductions there  appeared  but  little  variety  ;  but  it  is  to  be  con- 
sidered, that,  at  so  early  a  season,  several  might  not  yet  have 
sprung  up  ;  and  that  many  more  might  be  concealed  from  our 
voyagers,  in  consequence  of  the  narrow  sphere  of  their  researches. 
Of  the  land  animals,  the  most  common  were  bears,  deer,  foxes, 
and  wolves.  The  sea  animals,  which  were  seen  off  the  coast, 
were  whales,  porpoises,  and  seals.  Birds,  in  general,  are  not 
only  rare  as  to  the  different  species,  but  very  scarce  as  to  num 
bers  ;  and  the  few  which  are  to  be  met  with  are  so  shy,  that,  ir 
all  probability,  they  are  continually  harassed  by  the  natives 
either  to  eat  them  as  food,  or  to  get  possession  of  their  feathers, 
which  are  used  as  ornaments.  Fish  are  more  plentiful  in  quantity 
than  birds,  but  were  not  found  in  any  great  variety  ;  and  yet, 
from  several  circnmstances,  there  was  reason  to  believe,  that  the 
variety  is  considerably  increased  at  certain  seasons.  The  only 
animals  that  were  observed  of  the  reptile  kind  wore  snakes  and 
water-lizards  ;  but  the  insect  tribe  seemed  to  be  more  numerous. 
With  respect  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  their  persons 
are  generally  under  the  common  stature  ;  but  not  slender  in  pro- 
portion, being  usually  pretty  full  or  plump,  though  without  being 
muscular.  From  their  bringing  for  sale  human  skulls  and  bones, 
it  may  justly  be  inferred,  that  they  treat  their  enemies  with  a 
decrrce  of  brutal  cruelty  :  notwithstanding  which,  it  does  not 
follow,  that  they  are  to  be  i-eproaehed  with  any  charge  of  pecu 


.1    -'i 

(     ■■'I 


848 


CAPTAIN   COOK'S 


liar  inhumanity ;  for  the  circumstance  now  mentioned  only 
marks  a  general  agreement  of  character  with  that  of  almost 
every  tribe  of  uncivilized  men,  in  e^"  age,  and  in  every  part 
of  the  globe.  Our  navigators  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  the 
disposition  of  the  natives,  who  appeared  to  be  a  docile,  courteous, 
good-natured  people  ;  rather  phlegmatic  in  the  usual  cast  of 
their  tempers,  but  quick  in  resenting  what  they  apprehend  to  be 
an  injury,  and  easily  permittipg  their  anger  to  subside.  Their 
other  passions,  and  especially  their  curiosity,  seemed  to  lie  in 
some  measure  dormant :  one  cause  of  which  may  be  found  in  the 
indolence,  that,  for  the  most  part,  is  prevalent  amongst  them. 
The  chief  employments  of  the  men,  are  those  of  fishing,  and  of 
killing  land  or  sea-animals,  for  the  sustenance  of  their  families  ; 
whilt;  the  women  are  occupied  in  manufacturing  their  flaxen  or 
woollen  garments,  or  in  other  domestic  ofiSces.  It  must  be  men- 
tioned to  their  honour,  that  they  were  always  properly  clothed, 
and  behaved  with  the  utmost  decorum  ;  justly  deserving  all 
commendation,  for  a  bashfulness  and  modesty  becoming  their 
sex  ;  and  this  was  the  more  meritorious  in  them,  as  the  male  in- 
habitants discovered  no  sense  of  shame.  In  tiieir  manufactures 
and  mechanic  arts,  these  people  have  arrived  to  a  greater  degree 
of  extent  and  ingenuity,  both  with  regard  to  the  design  and 
execution,  than  could  have  been  expected  from  their  natural  dis- 
position, and  the  little  progress  to  which  they  have  arrived  in 
general  civilization.  Their  dexterity,  in  particular,  with  respect 
to  nrorks  of  wood,  must  principally  be  ascribed  to  the  assistance 
thev  receive  from  iron  tools,  which  are  in  universal  use  amongst 
them,  and  in  the  cpplication  of  which  they  are  very  dexterous. 
Whence  they  have  derived  their  knowledge  of  iron,  was  a  mat- 
ter of  speculation  with  Captain  Cook.  The  most  probable 
opinion,  is,  that  this  and  other  metals  may  have  been  introduced 
by  way  of  Hudson's  Bay  and  Canada,  and  thus  successively  have 
been  conveyed  across  the  continent,  from  tribe  to  tribe.     Nor  ia 


THIRL   VOYAGE. 


849 


it  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  tliese  metals  may  sometimes  be 
brought,  in  the  same  manner,  from  the  northwestern  parts  of 
Mexico.*  The  language  of  Nootka  is  by  no  means  harsh  or  dis- 
agreeable ;  for  it  abounds,  upon  the  whole,  rather  with  what 
may  be  called  labial  and  dental,  than  with  guttural  sounds.  A 
large  vocabulary  of  it  was  collected  by  Mr.  Anderson. 

Whilst  Captain  Cook  was  at  Nootka  Sound,  great  attention 
was  paid  by  him  as  usual,  to  astronomical  and  nautical  subjects. 
The  observations  which  he  had  an  opportunity  of  making,  were, 
indeed,  so  numerous,  as  to  form  a  very  considerable  addition  to 
geographical  and  philosophical  science. 

On  the  26th,  the  repairs  of  the  ships  having  been  completed, 
everything  was  ready  for  the  captain's  departure.  When,  in 
the  afternoon  of  that  day,  the  vessels  were  upon  the  point  of 
sailing,  the  mercury  in  the  barometer  fell  unusually  low  ;  and 
there  was  every  other  presage  of  an  approaching  storm,  which 
might  reasonably  be  expected  to  come  from  the  southward.  This 
circumstance  induced  our  commander  in  some  degree  to  hesitate, 
and  especially  as  night  was  at  band,  whether  he  should  venture 
to  sail  or  wait  till  the  next  morning.  But  his  anxious  impa- 
tience to  proceed  upon  the  voyage  and  the  fear  of  losing  the 
present  opportunity  of  getting  out  of  the  sound,  made  a  greater 
impression  upon  his  mind,  than  any  apprehension  of  immediate 
danger.  He  determined,  therefore,  to  put  to  sea  at  all  events  ; 
and  accordingly  carried  his  design  into  execution  that  evening. 
He  was  not  deceived  in  his  expectations  of  a  storm.  Scarcely  were 
tiie  vessels  out  of  the  Sound  before  the  wind  increased  to  a 
strong  gale,  with  squalls  and  rain,  accompanied  by  so  dark  a 
sky,  that  the  length  of  the  ships  could  not  be  seen.  Happily 
the  wind  took  a  direction  that  blew  our  navigators  from  the 

*  Two  sliver  spoons,  of  a  construction  similar  to  what  may  isometiroes  be  seen  In 
Flemish  pictures  of  still  life,  were  procured  here  by  Mr.  Gore,  who  bought  them  from 
a  native,  who  wore  them,  tied  together  with  a  leathern  thong,  as  an  ornament  round  his 
neck.    III.  Gore  gava  the  spoons  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks. 


m 


350 


CAPTAIN   CUOK  8 


coast  ;  and  though,  on  the  2*Ith,  the  tempest  rose  to  a  perfect 
hurricane,  and  the  Resolution  sprang  a  leak,  no  material  damage 
ensued. 

In  the  prosecution  of  the  voyage  to  the  north,  and  back  again 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the  facts  that  occurred  were  chiefly  of 
a  nautical  kind.  Minutely  to  record  these  is  not  the  purpose  of 
the  present  work,  and  indeed  would  extend  it  to  an  unreasonable 
length. 

From  this  long  and  important  navigation,  I  can  only  select 
some  few  incidents,  that  may  be  accommodated  to  the  tastes 
and  expectations  of  the  generality  of  readers. 

One  thing  it  is  not  improper  here  to  observe  ;  which  is  that  the 
captain,  in  his  passage  along  the  coast  of  America,  kept  at  a  dis- 
tance from  that  coast,  whenever  the  wind  blew  strongly  upon  it, 
and  sailed  on  till  he  could  approach  it  again  with  safety.  Hence 
several  great  gaps  were  left  unexplored,  and  particularly  be- 
tween the  latitudes  of  50°  and  55°.  The  exact  situation,  for  in- 
stance, of  the  supposed  Straits  of  Anian  was  not  ascertained. 
Every  one  who  is  acquainted  with  the  character  of  our  com- 
mander will  be  sensible,  that  if  he  had  lived  to  return  again  to 
the  north  in  1779,  he  would  have  endeavoured  to  explore  the 
parts  which  had  been  left  unexamined. 

The  first  place  at  which  Captain  Cook  landed,  after,  his  de- 
parture from  Nootka  Sound,  was  at  an  island,  of  eleven  or 
twelve  leag_^8  in  length,  the  southwest  point  of  which  lies  in 
the  latitude  of  59°  49'  north,  and  the  longitude  of  216°  58' 
east.  Here,  on  the  11th  of  May,  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  on  a 
little  eminence  not  far  from  the  shore,  he  left  a  bottle,  with  a 
paper  in  it  on  which  were  inscribed  the  names  of  the  ships  and 
the  date  of  the  discovery.  Together  with  the  bottle  he  enclosed 
two  silver  two-penny  pieces  of  his  majesty's  coin,  which  had 
been  struck  in  1772.  These,  with  many  others,  had  been  given 
him  by  the  Reverend  Dr.  Kaye,  the  present  Dean  of  Lincoln  j 


of 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


351 


and  oar  commander,  as  a  mark  of  his  esteem  and  regard  for 
that  learned  and  respectable  gentleman,  named  the  island,  after 
him.  Raye's  Island. 

At  an  inlet  where  the  ships  came  to  an  anchor  on  the  12th, 
and  to  which  Captain  Cook  gave  the  appellation  of  Prince  Wil- 
liam's Sound,  he  had  an  opportunity  not  only  of  stopping  the 
leak  which  the  Resolution  had  sprung  in  the  late  storm,  and  of 
prosecuting  his  nautical  and  geographical  discoveries,  but  of  ma- 
king considerable  additions  to  his  knowledge  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  American  coast.  From  every  observation  which  was 
made  concerning  the  persons  of  the  natives  of  this  part  of  the 
coast,  it  appeared,  that  they  had  a  striking  resemblance  to  those 
of  the  Esquimaux  and  Greenlanders.  Their  canoes,  their  wea- 
pons, and  their  instruments  for  fishing  and  hunting,  are  likewise 
exactly  the  same,  in  point  of  materials  and  construction,  that 
are  used  11  Greenland.  The  animals  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Prince  William's  Sound  are,  in  general,  similar  to  those  which 
are  found  at  Nootka.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  skins  here 
offered  for  sale,  was,  however,  that  of  a  small  animal,  which 
seemed  to  be  peculiar  to  the  place.  Mr.  Andcison  was  inclined  to 
think  that  it  is  the  animal  which  is  described  by  Mr.  Pennant, 
under  the  name  of  the  casan  marmot.  Among  the  birds  seen 
in  this  country,  were  the  white  headed  eagle,  the  shag,  and  the 
alcedo,  or  great  king-fisher,  the  colours  of  which  were  very  fine 
and  bright.  The  humming-bird,  also,  came  frequently  and  flew 
about  the  ship,  while  at  anchor  ;  but  it  can  scarcely  be  sup- 
posed, that  it  can  be  able  to  subsist  here  during  the  severity  of 
winter.  Water-fowl,  upon  the  whole,  are  in  considerable 
plenty  ;  and  there  is  a  species  of  diver  about  the  size  of  a  par- 
tridge, which  seems  peculiar  to  the  place.  Torsk  and  halibut 
were  almost  the  only  kinds  of  fish  that  were  obtained  by  our 
voyagers.  Vegetables,  of  any  sort,  were  few  in  number  ;  and 
the  trees  were  chiefly  the  Canadian  and  spruce  pine,  some  of 


!.!? 


352 


CAPTAIN  OOOK  8 


which  were  of  a  considerable  height  and  thickness.  The  beads 
and  iron,  that  were  found  among  the  people  of  the  coast,  must 
undoubtedly  have  been  derived  from  some  civilized  nation  ;  and 
yet  there  was  ample  reason  to  believe,  that  our  English  naviga- 
tors were  the  first  Europeans  with  whom  the  natives  had  ever 
held  a  direct  communication.  From  what  quarter  then  had  they, 
gotten  our  manufactures  ?  Most  probably,  through  the  interven- 
tion of  the  more  inland  tribes,  from  Hudson's  Bay,  or  the  settle- 
ments on  the  Canadian  lakes.  This,  indeed,  must  certainly  have 
been  the  case,  if  iron  was  known  amongst  tho  inhabitants  of 
this  part  of  the  American  coast  prior  to  the  discovery  of  it  by 
the  Russians,  and  before  there  was  any  traffic  with  them  car- 
ried on  from  Kamtschatka.  From  what  was  seen  of  Prince 
William's  Sound,  Captain  Cook  judged  that  it  occupied  at  least 
a  degree  and  a  half  of  latitude,  and  two  of  longitude,  exclu- 
sively of  the  arms  or  branches,  the  extent  of  which  is  not 
known. 

Some  days  after  leaving  this  sound  our  navigators  came  to  an 
inlet,  from  which  great  things  were  expected.  Hopes  were 
strongly  entertained,  that  it  would  be  found  to  comiounicate 
either  with  the  sea  to  the  north  or  with  Baffin's  or  Hudson's  Bay 
to  the  east,  and  accordingly  it  became  the  object  of  v<»ry  accu- 
rate and  serious  examination.  The  captain  was  soon  persuaded 
that  the  expectations  formed  from  it  were  groundless  ;  notwith- 
standing which,  he  persisted  in  the  sea"ch  of  a  passage,  more, 
indeed,  to  satisfy  other  people,  than  to  confirm  his  own  opinion. 
In  conseqnence  of  a  complete  investigation  of  the  inlet,  indubi- 
table marks  occurred  of  its  being  a  river.  This  river,  withou* 
seeing  the  least  appearance  of  its  source,  was  traced  by  our  voy 
agers,  as  high  as  the  latitude  of  61°  34'  and  the  longitude  of 
210°,  being  seventy  leagues  from  its  entrance.  During  th« 
course  of  the  navigation,  on  the  1st  of  June,  Lieutenant  King 
was  ordered  on  shore  to  display  the  royal  flag,  and  to  take  pos- 


THIRD    VOYAGE. 


S53 


Bession  of  the  country  in  his  majesty's  name.    The  lieutenant  at 
the  same  time  buried  in  the  ground  a  bottle  containing  some 
pieces  of  English  coin,  of  tla  year  1712,  and  a  paper,  on  which 
the  names  of  the  ship  were  inscribed,  and  the  date  of  the  pre- 
sent discovery.     The  great  river  now  discovered,  promises  to  vie 
with  the  most  considerable  ones  already  known  ;  and,  by  itself 
and  its  branches,  lies  open  to  a  very  extensive  inland  communi- 
cation.    If,  therefore,  the  knowledge  of  it  should  be  of  future 
service,  the  time  which  was  spent  in  exploring  it  ought  the  less 
to  be  regretted.     But  to  Captain  Cook,  who  had  a  much  greater 
object  in  view,  the  delay  that  was  hence  occasioned  was  a  real 
loss,  because  the  season  was  advancing  apace.     It  was,  how- 
ever, a  satisfaction  for  him  to  reflect,  that  if  he  had  not  exam- 
ined this  very  considerable  inlet,  it  would  have  been  assumed,  by 
speculative  fabricators  of  geography,  as  a  fact,  that  there  was 
a  passage  through  it  to  t'  e  North  Sea,  or  to  Baffin's  or  Hudson's 
Bay.     Perhaps,  too,  it  would  have  been  marked,  on  future  maps 
of  the  world,  with  greater  precision,  and  more  certain  signs  of 
reality,  than  the  invisible,  because  imaginary,  Straits  of  de  Fiica 
and  de  Fonte.     In  describing  the  inlet,  our  commander  had  left 
a  blank  which  was  not  filled  up  with  any  particular  name  ;  and, 
therefore,  the  Earl  of  Sandwich  directed,  with  the  greatest  pro- 
priety, that  it  should  be  called  Cook's  River. 

All  the  natives  who  were  met  with,  during  the  examination  of 
this  river,  appeared,  from  every  mark  of  resemblance,  to  be  of 
the  same  nation  with  the  inhabitants  of  Prince  William's  Sound  ; 
but  from  the  people  of  Nootka,  or  King  George's  Sound,  they 
essentially  differed,  both  in  their  persons  and  their  language. 
The  only  things  which  were  seen  among  them,  that  were  not  of 
their  own  manufacture,  were  a  few  glass  beads,  the  iron  points 
of  their  spears,  and  knives  of  the  same  metal.     Whencesoevcr, 
these  articles  might  be  derived,  it  was  evident,  that  they  had  never 
had  any  immediate  intercoui'se  with  the  Russians  ;  since  if  that 


Ml 


-'  I'  1 


r 


m 

If" 


li.i 


854 


CATTAIN   COOK  8 


1 


had  been  the  case,  our  voyaj  ers  would  scarcely  have  found  them 
clothed  in  such  valuable  skins  as  those  of  the  sea-otter.  A  very 
beneficial  fur-trade  might  undoubtedly  be  carried  on  with  the 
inhabitants  of  this  vast  coast.  But  without  a  practicable  north- 
ern passage,  the  situation  is  too  remote  to  render  it  probable,  that 
Greai.  Britain  should  hence  ever  derive  any  material  advantage  ; 
though  it  is  impossible  to  say,  with  certainty,  how  far  the  spirit 
of  commerce,  for  which  the  English  nation  is  so  eminently  dis- 
tinguished, may  extend.  The  most  valuable,  or  rather  the  only 
valuable  skin^',  which  Captain  Cook  saw  on  the  west  side  of 
America,  were  those  of  the  sea-otter  ;  for  as  to  the  skins  of  all 
the  other  animals  of  the  country,  and  especially  of  the  foxes  and 
martins,  they  seemed  to  be  of  an  inferior  quality. 

It  was  on  the  6th  of  June  that  our  navigators  got  clear  of 
Cook's  River.  Proceeding  in  the  course  of  their  discoveries, 
when  they  were  sailing,  on  the  19th,  amidst  the  group  of 
islands,  which  were  called  by  Beering,  Schumagin's  Islands,  Cap- 
tain Clerke  fired  three  guns,  and  brought  to,  expressing  by  the 
proper  signals,  that  he  wished  to  speak  with  Captain  Cook.  At 
Vihis  our  commander  was  not  a  little  alarmed,  and,  as  no  appa- 
rent danger  had  been  remarked  in  the  passage,  through  the 
channel  where  the  vessels  now  were,  it  was  apprehended  that 
some  accident,  such  as  springing  a  leak,  must  have  happened. 
On  Captain  Clerke's  coming  on  board  the  Resolution,  he  related 
that  several  of  the  natives  had  followed  his  ship  ;  that  one  of 
them  had  made  many  signs,  taking  of  his  cap,  and  bowing  after 
the  manner  of  Europeans  ;  and  that,  at  length,  he  had  fastened 
to  a  rope,  which  was  handed  down  to  him,  a  small  thin  wooden 
case  or  box.  Having  delivered  his  parcel  safe,  and  spoken 
something,  accompanied  with  more  signs,  the  canoes  dropped 
astern,  and  left  the  Discovery.  On  opening  the  box,  a  piece  of 
paper  was  found,  folded  up  carefully,  upon  which  something  was 
written,  that  was  reasonably  supposed  to  be  in  the  Russian  Ian- 


THIBD  VOTAGB. 


855 


gnage.  To  the  paper  was  prefixed  the  date  17*78,  ami  in  the 
body  of  the  note  there  was  a  reference  to  the  year  1*776.  Al- 
though no  person  on  board  was  learned  enough  to  decipher  the  al- 
phabet of  the  writer,  his  namerals  sufficiently  marked,  that  others 
had  preceded  our  voyagers  in  yisiting  this  dreary  part  of  the 
globe  ;  and  the  prospect  of  soon  meeting  with  men,  who  were  unit- 
ed to  them  in  ties  somewhat  closer  than  those  of  our  common  nature, 
and  who  were  not  strangers  to  the  arts  and  commerce  of  civilized 
life,  could  not  but  afiford  a  sensible  satisfaction  to  people  who, 
for  such  a  length  of  time,  had  been  conversant  with  the  savages  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  of  the  North  American  continent.  Captain 
Gierke,  was,  at  first,  of  opinion  that  some  Russians  had  been 
shipwrecked  ;  but  no  such  idea  occurred  to  Captain  Cook.  He 
rather  thought  that  the  paper  contained  a  note  of  information 
left  by  some  Russian  traders,  to  be  delivered  to  the  next  of  their 
countrymen  who  should  arrive  ;  and  that  the  natives,  seeing  the 
English  pass,  and  suppo.^ing  them  to  be  Russians,  had  resolved 
to  bring  off  the  note.  Accordingly,  our  commander  pursued 
his  voyage,  without  inquiring  farther  into  the  matter. 

On  the  21st,  amongst  some  hills,  on  the  main  land,  that  tow- 
ered above  the  clouds  to  a  most  amazing  height,  one  was  dis- 
covered to  have  a  volcano,  which  constantly  threw  up  vast 
columns  of  black  smoke.  It  doth  not  stand  far  from  the  coast ; 
and  it  lies  in  the  latitude  of  54°  48',  and  the  longitude  of  195° 
45'.  This  mountain  was  rendered  remarkable  by  its  figure, 
which  is  a  complete  cone,  and  the  volcano  is  at  the  very  summit. 
While,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  during  a  calm  of  three 
hours,  the  English  were  fishing  with  great  success  for  halibuts,  a 
small  canoe,  conducted  by  one  man,  came  to  them  from  an  island 
in  the  neighbourhood.  On  approaching  the  ship,  he  took  off  his 
cap  and  bowed,  as  the  native  had  done,  who  had  visited  the 
Discovery  a  day  or  two  before.  From  the  acquired  politeness  of 
these  people,  as  well  as  from  the  note  already  mentioned,  it 


;-.'*r 

mm 


856 


CAPTAIN   CX)OK  8 


was  evident  that  the  Russians  must  have  a  communication  and 
traflBc  with  them  ;  and  of  this  a  fresh  proof  occurred  in  the 
present  visitor  ;  for  he  wore  a  pair  of  green  cloth  breeches, 
and  a  jacket  of  black  cloth,  or  fituflf,  under  the  gut-shirt  or  frock 
of  his  own  country. 

In  the  prosecution  of  the  voyage,  on  the  26th,  there  wa?  •■5 
thick  a  fofr,  t\.  oir  iviiators  cjuld  nc*^^  eee  a  hundred  yards 
before  inem  ;  -o^nitbitanding  which,  as  the  weather  was 
moderate,  thv.  ctj]  :;^^^a  u  d  not  intermit  his  course.  At  length, 
however,  being  alarmed  'ii,  "he  sound  of  breakers  on  one  side 
the  ship,  he  immediately  brought  her  to,  and  came  to  an  anchor  ; 
and  the  Discovery,  by  his  orders,  did  the  same.  A  few  hours 
after,  the  fog  having  in  some  degree  cleared  away,  it  appear- 
ed that  both  the  vessels  had  escaped  a  very  imminent  danger. 
Providence,  in  the  dark,  had  conducted  them  between  rocks 
which  our  commander  would  not  have  ventured  to  pass  through 
in  a  clear  day,  and  had  conveyed  them  to  an  anchoring-place,  as 
good  as  he  could  possibly  have  fixed  upon,  had  the  choice  been 
entirely  at  his  option. 

On  the  27th,  our  voyagers  reached  an  island,  that  is  known 
by  the  name,  of  Oonalashka  ;  the  inhabitants  of  which  behaved 
with  a  degree  of  politeness  uncommon  to  savage  tribes.  A 
young  man,  who  had  overset  his  canoe,  being  obliged  by  this 
accident  to  come  on  board  the  ship,  went  down  into  Captain 
Cook's  cabin  upon  the  first  invitation,  without  expressing  the 
least  reluctance  or  uneasiness.  His  own  clothes  being  wet,  the 
captain  gave  him  others,  in  which  he  dressed  himself  with  as 
much  ease  as  any  Englishman  could  have  done.  From  the  beha- 
viour of  this  youth,  and  that  of  some  of  the  rest  of  the  natives,  it 
was  evident  that  these  people  were  no  strangers  to  Europeans, 
and  to  several  of  their  customs.  There  was  something,  however, 
in  the  English  ships,  that  greatly  excited  their  attention  ;  for 
such  as  could  not  come  off  in  canoes,  assembled  on  the  neigh- 


TIURI)    VOYAGE. 


867 


bouring  killn  to  lock  at  them.  In  one  instance  it  was  apparent 
that  the  inhuoitants  we^  e  bo  far  from  having  made  any  progresa 
in  politeness,  that  they  were  still  immersed  in  the  most  savage 
1  lanners.  For,  as  our  .jmmandcr  was  walking  along  the  shore, 
ou  the  29th,  he  m'^t  with  a  group  ot  them,  of  both  sexes,  who 
were  fl^^ated  on  the  grass,  at  a  repast,  consisting  of  a  raw  fish, 
which  they  seemed  to  eat  with  as  much  relish,  as  persons  in 
civilized  life  would  experience  from  a  turbot,  served  up  in  the 
richest  sauce.  Soon  after  the  vessels  had  come  to  an  anchor  at 
Oonalashka,  a  native  of  the  island  brought  on  board  such 
another  note  as  had  been  given  to  Captain  Cler'  .  Tie  present- 
ed it  to  Captain  Cook  ;  but  as  it  was  written  ii  rhe  '  ssian  lan- 
guage, and  could  be  of  no  use  to  the  Englifl>  tt<'>uga  it  might 
be  of  consequence  to  others,  the  captain  xeti  '  ed  it  to  the 
bearer,  and  dismissed  him  with  a  few  pruf  nts  ;  for  which  ho 
expressed  his  thanks  by  making  several  low  l  ^v  i  as  he  retired. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  our  voyagers  put  to  sea  from  Oonalashka  ; 
and,  pursuing  their  course  of  navigation  and  discovery,  came,  on 
the  16th,  within  sight  of  a  promontory,  near  which  our  com- 
mander ordered  Lieutenant  Williamson  to  land,  that  he  might  see 
in  what  direction  the  coast  took  beyond  it,  and  what  the  country 
produced.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Williamson  went  on  shore,  and 
reported  on  his  return,  that,  having  landed  on  the  point,  and 
climbed  the  highest  hill,  he  found  that  the  farthest  part  of  the 
coast  in  sight  bore  nearly  north.  At  the  same  time,  he  took 
possession  of  the  country  in  his  majesty's  name,  and  left  a  bottle, 
in  which  was  enclosed  a  piece  of  paper,  containing  an  inscription 
of  the  names  of  the  ships,  together  with  the  date  of  the  discov- 
ery. To  the  promontory  he  gave  the  name  of  Cape  Newen- 
ham.  The  land,  as  far  as  Mr.  Williamson  could  see,  pro- 
duced neither  tree  nor  shrub  ;  but  the  lower  grounds  were  not 
destitute  of  grass,  and  of  some  other  plants,  very  few  of  which 
were  in  flower 


^^} 


'M 


858 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


When  our  navigaturs,  on  the  3(1  of  August,  had  advanced  ta 
the  hititude  of  62°  34',  a  great  loss  was  sustained  by  them  in 
the  death  of  Mr.  Anderson,  the  surgeon  of  the  Resolution,  who 
had -been  lingering  under  a  consumption  for  more  than  twelve 
months.  He  was  a  young  man  of  a  cultivated  understanding 
and  agreeable  manners,  and  was  well  skilled  in  his  own  profes* 
sion  ;  besides  which,  he  had  acquired  a  considerable  degree  of 
knowledge  in  other  branches  of  science.  How  useful  an  assist- 
ant he  was  to  Captain  Cook,  hath  often  appeared  in  the  present 
narrative.  Had  his  life  been  spared,  the  public  would  undoubt- 
edly have  received  from  him  such  communications,  on  various 
parts  of  the  natural  history  of  the  several  places  that  had  been 
visited,  as  would  justly  have  entitled  him  to  very  high  commen- 
dation. The  proofs  of  his  abilities  that  now  remain,  will  hand 
down  the  name  of  Anderson,  in  conjunction  with  that  of  Cook, 
to  posterity.  Soon  after  he  had  breathed  his  last,  land  having 
been  seen  at  a  distance,  which  was  supposed  to  be  an  island,  our 
oou..aander  honored  it  with  the  appellation  of  Anderson's  Island. 
The  next  day  he  removed  Mr.  Law,  the  surgeon  of  the  Dis- 
covery, into  the  Resolution,  and  appointed  Mr.  Samweil,  the 
Burgeon's  first  mate  of  the  Resolution,  to  be  surgeon  of  the  Dis- 
covery. 

On  the  9th,  Captain  Cook  came  to  an  anchor  under  a  point  of 
land,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  and 
which  is  remarkable  by  being  the  most  western  extremity  of 
America  hitherto  explored.  This  extremity  is  distant  from  the 
eastern  Cape  of  Siberia  only  thirteen  leagues :  and  thus  our 
commander  had  the  glory  of  ascertaining  the  vicinity  of  the  two 
continence,  which  had  only  been  conjectured  from  the  reports  of 
the  neighbouring  Asiatic  inhabitants,  and  the  imperfect  observa- 
tions  of  the  Russian  navigators. 

Resuming  his  course  on  the  10th,  Captain  Cook  anchored  in  a 
bay,  the  land  of  which  was  at  first  supposed  to  be  part  of  the 


TIIIKD    VOYAOE. 


859 


:  *• 


inland  of  Alasclika,  which  is  laid  down   in  ^'r.  StjchlinS  map. 
But,  from  tho  figure  of  the  coast,  froi.i  ibu  situation  of  the 
opposite  shore  of  America,  and  from  the  longitude,  the  captain 
soon  began  to  thiiik,  that  it  was  more  probably  the  country  of 
the  Tschutski,  on  the  eastern  extremity  of  Asia,  which  had  been 
xplored  by  Beering  in  1728.     In  the  result  it  appeared,  that 
..his  was  in  fact  the  case.     Our  commander  became  fully  satisfied 
in  the  farther  progress  of  his  voyage,  that  Mc.  Stsehlin's  map 
must  be  errotieons  ;  and  he  had  the  honour  of  restoring  the 
American  continent  to  that  space  which  the  geographer  now 
mentioned  had  occupied  with  his  imaginary  island  of  Alaschka. 
From  the  Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,  belonging  to  the  country  of 
the  Tschutski,  our  navigators  steered,  on  the  11th,  to  the  east, 
in  order  to  get  nearer  to  the  coast  of  America.    After  that, 
proceeding  to  the  north,  they  reached  on  the  17 th,  the  latitude 
of  70"  33'.     On  this  day,  a  brightness  was  perceived  in  the 
northern  horizon,  like  that  which  is  reflected  from  ice,  and  is 
commonly  called  the  blink.    This  was  at  first  but  little  noticed, 
from  a  supposition  that  there  was  no  probability  of  meeting 
with  ice  so  soon  :   and  yet  the  sharpness  of  the  air  and  tho 
gloominess  of  the  weather,  had,  for  two  or  three  days  past, 
seemed  to  indicate  a  sudden  change.     In  about  an  hour's  time, 
the  sight  of  a  large  field  of  ice  left  Captain  Cook  no  longer  in 
donbt  with  regard  to  the  cause  of  the  brightness  of  the  horizon. 
The  ships,  in  the  same  afternoon,  being  then  in  the  latitude  of 
70"  41',  were  close  to  the  edge  of  the  ice,  and  not  able  to  stand 
on  any  farther.     On  the  18th,  when  the  vessels  were  in  the  lati- 
tude of  70°  44',  the  ice  on  the  side  of  them  was  as  compact  as 
a  wall,  and  w&s  judged  to  be  at  least  ten  or  twelve  feet  in 
height.     Further  to  the  north,  it  appeared  to  be  much  higher 
Its  surface  was  extremely  rugged,  and  in  different  places  there 
were  seen  upon  it  pools  of  water.     A  prodigious  number  of  sea 
horses  lay  upon  the  ice  ;  and  some  of  them,  on  the  nineteenth, 


-'■im 


'".'rm 

h." 


'rli 


i'-M  'I 


^1 
.fit 


360 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


were  procured  for  foo<l,  there  being  at  this  time  a  want  of  fresb 
provisions.  When  the  animals  were  brought  to  the  vessels,  it 
was  no  small  disappointment  to  many  of  the  seamen,  who  had 
feasted  their  eyes  for  several  days  with  the  prospect  of  eating 
them,  to  find  that  they  were  not  sea-cows,  as  they  had  supposed, 
but  sea-horses.  This  disappointment  would  not  have  been 
occasioned,  or  the  difference  known,  had  there  not  happened  to 
be  one  or  two  ^ilors  on  board  who  had  been  in  Greeulaiid, 
and  who  declared  what  thcne  animals  were,  and  that  it  never 
was  customary  to  eat  of  them.  Such,  however,  was  the  anxiety 
for  a  change  of  diet,  as  to  overcome  this  prejudice.  Our  voy- 
agers lived  upon  the  sea-horses  as  long  as  they  lasted  ;  and  there 
were  few  who  did  not  prefer  them  to  the  salt  meat. 

Captain  Cook  continued,  to  the  29th,  to  traverse  the  Icy  Sea 
beyond  Beering's  Strait,  in  various  directions,  and  through  num- 
berless obstructions  and  difficulties.  Every  day  the  ice  increased 
80  as  to  preclude  all  hopes  of  attaining,  at  least  during  the  pre- 
sent year,  the  grand  object  of  the  voyage.  Indeed,  the  season 
was  now  so  far  advanced,  and  the  time  in  which  the  frost  was 
expected  to  set  in  was  so  near  at  hand,  that  it  would  have  been 
totally  inconsistent  with  prudence,  to  have  made  any  farther 
attempts,  till  the  next  summer,  at  finding  a  passage  into  the 
Atlantic.  The  attention,  therefore,  of  our  commander  was  now 
directed  to  other  important  and  necessary  concerns.  It  was  of 
great  consequence  to  meet  with  a  place  where  our  navigators 
might  be  supplied  with  wood  and  water.  But  the  point  whieli 
principally  occupied  the  captain's  thoughts  was,  how  he  should 
spend  the  winter,  so  as  to  make  some  improvements  in  geography 
%nd  navigation,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  bo  in  a  condition  to 
return  to  the  north,  in  farther  search  of  a  passage,  in  thr 
ensuing  summer. 

Before  Captain  Cook  proceeded  far  to  the  south,  he  employev 
a  considerq^ble  tipie  in  examining  the  sea  and  coasts  in  the  neigh 


TUIKl)   VOVAOK. 


861 


bourh'>od  of  Beering's  Strait,  both  on  the  side  of  Asia  and 
America.  In  this  examination,  he  ascertained  the  accunuy  of 
Hcering,  so  far  as  he  went ;  demonstrated  tiie  errors  with  which 
Sttebliu'b  map  of  the  New  Nortliern  Archipelago  abounds  ;  and 
made  large  additions  to  the  geographical  knowledge  of  this  part 
of  the  world.  "  It  reflects,"  as  Mr.  Coxe  justly  observes,  *'  the, 
highest  honour  even  on  the  British  name,  that  our  navigator 
extended  his  discoveries  much  farther  in  one  expedition,  and  at 
so  great  a  distance  from  the  point  of  his  departure,  than  the 
Russians  accomplished  in  a  long  scries  of  years,  and  in  parts 
belonging  or  contiguous  to  their  own  empire." 

On  the  2d  of  October,  our  voyagers  came  within  sight  of  the 
island  of  Oonalashka,  and  anchored  the  next  day  in  Samga- 
noodha  harbor.  Here  the  first  concern  was  to  put  the  ships  under 
tiie  necessary  repair  ;  and,  while  the  carpenters  were  employed 
in  this  business,  one  third  of  the  people  had  permission,  by  turns, 
to  go  and  collect  the  berries  with  which  the  island  abounds,  and 
which,  though  now  beginning  to  be  in  a  state  of  decay,  did  not 
a  little  contribute,  in  conjunction  with  spruce-beer,  eflFectually 
to  eradicate  every  seed  of  the  scurvy,  that  might  exist  in  either 
of  the  vessels.  Such  a  supply  of  fish  was  likewise  procured,  aa 
not  only  served  for  present  consumption,  but  afforded  a  quantity 
to  be  carried  out  to  sea  ;  so  that  hence  a  considerable  saving 
was  made  of  the  provisions  of  the  ships,  which  was  at  this  time 
an  object  of  no  small  importance. 

Captain  Cook,  on  the  8th,  received  by  the  hands  of  an  Oona- 
lashka man,  named  Derramoushk,  a  very  singular  present,  which 
was  that  of  a  rye  loaf,  or  rather  a  pie  in  the  form  of  a  loaf,  for 
it  encloseu  some  salmon,  highly  seasoned  with  pepper.  Tina 
man  had  the  like  present  for  Captain  Gierke,  and  a  note  for  each 
of  the  two  captains,  written  in  a  character  which  none  on  Ixmril 
could  understand.  It  was  natural  to  suppose  that  the  pn.'>;£;iit8 
came  from  some  Russians  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  and  tiiciefore  a 

16 


ri 


>■  «■ : 


'•^u., 


862 


CAPTAIN   OoOK  8 


few  bottles  of  rum,  wine,  and  porter,  wore  sent  to  these  unknown 
friends  in  retura  ;  it  being  rightly  judged,  that  such  articles 
would  be  more  acceptable  than  anything  besides,  which  it  was  in 
the  power  of  our  navigators  to  bestow.  Corporal  I^ediard  of 
the  marines,*  an  intelligent  man,  was,  at  Ibe  same  time  directed 
to  accompany  Derramonshk,  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  farther 


*  TUa  Oorporal  Ledlard  is  an  extraordinary  man,  somethlog  of  whose  history  cannot 
fkil  of  being  entertaining  to  my  readers.  In  the  winter  of  1736,  he  set  out  on  the  aingu- 
'  lar  undertalcing  of  walidng  across  the  continent  of  A'^erica ;  for  the  aecompliahment  of 
which  purpose,  he  determinsd  to  travel  by  the  way  of  Siberia,  and  to  procure  a  passage 
ft-om  that  couiitry  to  the  opposite  American  coast.  Being  an  American  by  birth,  and 
having  no  means  of  raising  the  mo:>ey  necessary  for  his  expenses,  a  subscription  was 
raised  for  tiim  by  Sir  Joseph  Banlu,  and  some  other  gentlemen,  amounting,  in  the  whole, 
to  a  little  more  than  fifty  pounds.  With  this  sum  he  proceeded  to  Hamburgh,  from 
witich  place  he  went  to  Copenhagen,  and  thence  to  Petersburgh,  where  he  arrived  in  the 
beginning  of  March,  1787.  In  his  Journey  from  Copenhagen  to  Petersburgh,  finding 
that  the  gulf  of  Bothnia  was  not  frosen  over,  he  was  obliged  to  walk  round  the  whole  of 
It,  by  Tornse<.  At  Petersburgh  hi  stayed  till  the  21st  of  May,  when  he  obtained  leave 
to  accompany  a  convoy  of  military  stcres,  which  a>.  that  time  was  proceeding  to  Mr. 
Billings,  who  had  been  his  shipmste  in  Captain  Coolers  voyage,  and  who  was  then 
employed  by  the  Empress  of  Ruesia,  for  the  purpose  of  making  discoveries  in  Siberia, 
and  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America.  With  this  convoy  Mr.  Lediard  set  out,  and  in 
August  reached  the  city  of  Irkutsk  in  Siberia.  After  tliat,  he  proceeded  to  the  town  of 
Yakutsk,  where  he  met  with  Captain  Billings.  From  this  place  he  went  back  to  Irkutsk, 
to  spend  a  part  of  the  winter ;  proposing  in  the  spring,  to  return  to  Yakutsk,  in  order  to 
proceed  in  the  summer  to  Okotsk. 

Iliiherto,  Mr.  Lediard  had  gone  on  prosperously,  and  flattered  himself  with  the  hopes 
of  succeeding  is  '^a  undertaking.  But,  in  January  last  (1738,)  in  consequence  of  an 
express  froLi  the  eiupress,  he  was  arrested,  and,  in  half  an  hour's  time,  carried  away, 
under  ''k?  guard  of  two  soldiers  and  an  officer,  in  a  post  sledge,  for  Moscow,  without  bis 
clothes,  money,  and  papers  From  Moscow  he  was  conv<^yed  to  the  city  of  Moiuloff  in 
White  Russia,  and  thence  to  thv^  town  of  Tolochin  in  Poland.  There  he  was  informed, 
that  her  majesty's  orders  were,  that  he  was  never  to  enter  her  dominions  afrain  without 
her  express  permission.  During  all  this  time,  he  suffered  the  greatest  hardships,  from 
sickness,  fatigue  and  want  of  rest ;  so  that  he  was  almost  reduced  to  a  skeleton.  Froiii 
Toloclin  he  made  his  way  to  Konigsberg;  having  had,  as  he  says,  a  miserable  Journey 
in  a  miserable  country,  in  a  miserable  season,  In  miserable  health,  and  a  msierablc 
purse:  and  disappointed  of  his  daring  enterprise.  Mr.  Lediard  informs  Sir  Joseph 
Backs,  to  whom  he  sent  from  time  to  time,  a  full  account  of  his  transactions,  that,  though 
he  had  been  retarded  in  his  pursuits  by  malice,  he  had  not  travelled  totally  in  vain ;  liis 
observations  in  Asia,  being,  perhaps,  as  complete  as  a  longer  visit  would  have  rendered 
them.  From  Ua  last  letter  it  appears,  that  he  proposed  to  return,  as  speedily  as  possible. 
troax  Konigsberg  to  England. 


TBIBD   VOYAGE. 


363 


iDformation  ;  and  with  orders,  if  he  met  with  any  Russians,  that  he 
Bhould  endeavour  to  make  them  understand  that  our  voyagers 
were  Englishmen,  and  the  friends  and  allies  of  their  nation.  On 
the  10  th,  the  corporal  returned  with  three  Russian  seamen  or 
furriers,  who  with  several  others,  resided  at  Egoocbshac,  where 
they  had  a  dwelling-house,  some  b  lore-houses,  and  a  sloop  of 
about  thirty  tons  burden.  One  of  these  men  was  either  master 
or  mate  of  this  vessel ;  another  of  them  wrote  a  very  good 
hand,  and  was  acquainted  with  figures  :  and  all  of  them  were 
sensible  and  well-behaved-  persons,  who  were  ready  to  give 
Captain  Cook  dvery  possible  degree  of  information.  The  great 
difficulty,  in  the  reception  and  communication  of  intelligence, 
arose  from  fie  want  of  an  interpreter.  On  the  14th,  a  Russian 
landed  at  C  onalashka,  whose  name  was  Erasim  Gregorioff  Sin 
Ismyloff,  ajd  who  was  the  principal  person  among  his  country- 
men in  this  and  the  neighbouring  islands.  Besides  the  intelli- 
gence which  our  commander  derived  from  his  conversation  with 
Ismyloflf,  and  which  was  carried  on  by  signs,  assisted  by  figures 
and  other  characters,  he  obtained  from  him  the  sight  of  two 
charts,  and  was  permitted  to  copy  them.  Both  of  them  were 
manuscripts,  and  bore  every  mark  of  authencity.  The  first 
i  icluded  the  Penshinskian  Sea  ;  the  coast  of  Tartary,  down  to 
the  latitude  of  41°  ;  the  Curil  Islands  ;  and  the  peninsula  of 
Kamtschatka.  But  it  was  the  second  chart  that  was  the  most 
interesting  to  Captain  Cook  ;  for  it  comprehended  all  the  dis- 
coveries made  by  the  Russians  to  the  eastward  of  Kamtschatka, 
towards  America  ;  which,  however,  exclusively  of  the  voyages 
of  Beering  and  Tscherikoff,  amounted  to  little  or  nothing. 
Indeed,  all  the  people  with  whom  the  captain  conversed  at  Oona- 
lashka,  agreed  in  assuring  him,  over  and  over  again,  that  they 
knew  cf  no  other  islands,  besides  those  whicli  were  laid  down 
upon  this  chart :  and  that  no  Russian  had  ever  seen  any  part  of 
the  continent  of  America  to  the  northward,  excepting  that 
which  lies  opposite  to  the  country  of  Tschutskis. 


>  '»'!i|f 


M^vc'i 


I  ?. 


■  yf' 


;,«; 


364 


CAPTAIN   COOS.  8 


Wken,  on  the  1st,  Mr.  Ismyloff  took  his  final  leare  of  the 
English  navigators,  our  commander  intrusted  to  his  care  a  letter 
to  the  lords  commissioners  of  the  admiralty,  in  which  was 
enclosed  a  chart  of  all  the  northern  coasts  the  captain  had 
visited.  It  was  expected,  that  there  would  be  an  opportunity  of 
sending  this  letter,  in  the  ensuing  spring,  to  Eamtschatka  or 
Okotsk,  and  that  it  would  reach  Petersburgh  during  the  follow- 
ing winter.  Mr.  Ismyloff,  who  faithfully  and  successfully  dis- 
charged the  trust  our  commander  had  reposed  in  him,  seemed 
to  possess  abilities,  that  might  entitle  him  to  a  higher  station  in 
life  than  that  which  he  occupied.  He  had  a  considerable  know- 
ledge of  astronomy,  and  was  acquainted  with  the  most  useful 
branches  of  the  mathematics.  Captain  Cook  made  him  a  pre- 
sent of  a  Hadley's  octant ;  and  though  it  was  probably  the  first 
he  had  ever  seen,  he  understood,  in  a  very  short  time,  the  vari- 
ous uses  to  which  that  instrument  can  be  applied. 

While  the  ships  lay  at  Oonalashka,  our  voyagers  did  not 
neglect  to  make  a  diligent  inquiry  into  the  productions  of  the 
island,  and  the  general  manners  of  the  inhabitants.  On  these, 
as  being  in  a  great  maasure  similar  to  objects  which  have 
already  been  noticed,  it  is  not  necessary  to  enlarge.  There  is 
one  circumstance,  however,  so  honourable  to  the  natives,  that  it 
must  not  be  omitted.  They  are,  to  all  appearance,  the  most 
peaceable  and  inoffensive  people  our  commander  had  ever  met 
with  ;  and,  with  resocct  to  honesty,  they  might  serve  as  a  pat- 
tern to  countries  that  are  in  the  highest  state  of  civilization. 
A  doubt  was  suggested,  whether  this  disposition  may  not  have 
been  the  consequence  of  their  present  subjection  to  the  Russians. 
From  the  affinity  which  was  found  to  subsist  between  the  dia- 
lects of  the  Greenlander  and  Esquimaux,  and  those  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  Norton'.s  Sound  and  Oonalashka,  there  is  strong  reason 
to  believe,  that  all  these  nations  are  of  the  same  extraction;  and, 
if  that  be  the  case,  the  existence  of  a  northern  communication 
of  some  kind,  by  sea,  between  the  west  side  of  America  and 


THIKD  VOYAOK. 


365 


the  cast  side,  through  BaflBn's  Bay,  can  scarcely  be  doubted  ; 
which  communication,  nevertheless,  may  eflfectually  be  shut  up 
against  ships,  by  ice  and  other  impediments. 

While  the  vessels  lay  in  Samganoodha  harbour,  Captain  Cook 
exerted  his  usual  diligence  in  making  nautical  and  astronomical 
observations.  All  things,  on  the  26th,  having  been  gotten 
ready  for  his  departure,  he  put  to  sea  on  that  day,  and  sailed 
for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  it  being  his  intention  to  spend  a  few 
months  there,  and  then  to  direct  his  course  to  Kamtsch.itka,  so 
as  to  endeavour  to  reach  that  country  by  the  middle  of  May,  in 
the  ensuing  summer. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  when  the  ships  had  proceeded 
southward  till  they  came  to  the  latitude  of  20°  65'  land  wp.s  dis- 
covered, which  proved  to  be  an  island  of  the  name  of  Jiowee, 
that  had  not  hitherto  been  visited.  It  is  one  of  the  gror.p  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  As  it  was  of  the  last  importance  to  procure 
a  supply  of  provisions  at  these  islands,  and  experience  had  taught 
our  commander,  that  he  could  have  had  no  chance  of  succeeding 
in  his  object  if  it  were  left  to  every  man's  discretion  to  traffic  for 
what  he  pleased,  and  in  what  manner  he  pleased  ;  the  captain 
published  an  order,  prohibiting  all  persons  from  trading,  except- 
ing such  as  should  be  appointed  by  himself  and  Captain  Clerke. 
Even  these  persons  were  enjoined  to  trade  only  for  provisions 
and  refreshments.  While  our  navigators  lay  off  Mo  wee,  which 
was  for  some  days,  a  friendly  intercourse  was  maintained  with 
the  inhabitants. 

Another  island  was  discovered  on  the  30th,  which  is  called  by 
the  natives  Owyhee.  As  it  appeared  to  be  of  greater  extent  and 
importance  than  any  of  the  islands  which  had  yet  been  visited 
in  this  part  of  the  world,  Captain  Cook  spent  nearly  seven  weeks 
in  sailing  round,  and  examining  its  coast.  Whilst  he  was  thus 
employed,  the  'uhabitants  came  off,  from  time  to  time,  in  their 
canoes  and  readily  engaged  in  traffic  with  our  voyagers.     lu  the 


'.Ui-m 


n 


';'". 


•i'  rt; 


•:iJ..^'l 


m 


;i  urn 

I'll,-  -54 


366 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


conduct  of  this  business,  the  behavioar  of  the  islanders  was  moro 
entirely  free  from  suspicion  and  reserve  than  our  commander  had 
ever  yet  experienced.  Not  even  the  people  of  Otaheite  itself, 
with  whom  he  had  been  so  intimately  and  repeatedly  connected, 
had  displayed  snch  a  full  confidence  in  the  integrity  and  good 
treatment  of  the  English. 

Among  the  articles  procured  from  the  natives,  was  a  quantity 
of  sugar-cane.  Upon  a  trial,  Captain  Cook  found  that  a  strong 
decoction  of  it  produced  a  very  palatable  beer;  on  which  account, 
he  ordered  some  more  to  be  brewed  for  general  use.  When, 
however,  the  barrel  was  broached,  not  one  of  the  crew  would 
taste  of  the  liquor.  As  the  captain  had  no  motive  in  prepar- 
ing this  beverage,  but  that  of  sparing  the  rum  and  othe^*  spirits 
for  a  colder  climate,  he  did  not  exert  either  authority  or  persua- 
sion to  prevail  upon  the  men  to  change  their  resolution  ;  for  he 
knew,  that  there  was  no  danger  of  the  scurvy,  so  long  as  a  plen- 
tiful supply  could  be  obtained  of  different  vegetables.  Neverthe- 
less, that  he  might  not  be  disappointed  in  his  views,  he  gave 
orders  that  no  grog  should  be  served  in  the  ships  ;  and  he  him- 
self, together  with  the  officers,  continued  to  make  use  of  the 
sugar-cane  beer,  which  was  much  improved  by  the  addition  of  a 
few  hops,  that  chanced  to  be  still  on  board.  There  could  be  no 
reasonable  doubt  of  its  being  a  very  wholesome  liquor  ;  and  yet 
the  inconsiderate  crew  alleged  that  it  would  be  injurious  to  their 
health.  No  people  are  more  averse  to  every  kind  of  innovation 
than  seamen,  and  their  prejudices  are  extremely  difficult  to  be 
conquered.  It  was,  however,  by  acting  contrary  to  these  preju- 
dices, and  by  various  deviations  from  established  practice,  that 
Captain  Cook  had  been  enabled  to  preserve  his  men  from  that 
dreadful  distemper,  the  scurvy,  which,  perliaps,  has  destroyed 
mere  of  our  sailors,  in  therr  peaceful  voyages,  than  have  fi  lien 
by  the  enemy  in  military  expeditions. 

As  the  captain  was  pursuing  his  examination  of  the  coast  of 


THIED  VOYAGE. 


367 


Owyhee,  it  haTicg  fallen  calm  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
the  19th  of  December,  the  Resolution  was  left  to  the  mercy  of 
a  northeasterly  swell,  which  impelled  her  fast  towards  the  land  ; 
BO  that  long  before  day-break,  lights  were  seen  from  the  hind, 
which  was  not  more  tL:>n  a  league  distant.  The  night,  at  the 
same  time,  was  dark,  with  thunder,  lightning,  and  rain.  As 
soon  as  it  was  light,  a  dreadful  surf,  within  half  a  league  of  the 
vessel,  appeared  breaking  from  the  shore,  and  it  was  evident 
that  our  navigators  had  been  in  the  most  perilous  situation  ;  nor 
was  the  danger  yet  over,  for,  in  consequence  of  the  veering  of 
the  wind,  they  were  but  just  able  to  keep  their  distance  from  the 
coast.  What  rendered  their  situation  more  alarming  was,  that 
a  rope  of  the  main-top  sail  having  given  way,  this  occasioned 
the  sail  to  be  rent  in  two.  In  the  same  manner,  the  two  top-gal- 
lant sails  gave  way,  though  they  were  not  half  worn  out.  How- 
ever, a  favourable  opportunity  was  seized  of  getting  others  to 
the  yards  ;  and  the  Rc3(  \ution  again  proceeded  in  safety. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  1779,  canoes  arrived  in  such  numbers 
from  all  parts,  that  there  svere  not  fewer  than  a  thousand  about 
the  two  ships,  most  of  thetiA  crowded  with  people,  and  well  laden 
with  hogs  and  other  productions  of  the  island.  It  was  a  satis- 
factory proof  of  their  friei  dly  intentions,  that  there  was  not  a 
single  person  amongst  them  who  had  with  him  a  weanon  of  any 
kind;  trade  and  curiosity  alone  appeared  to  be  e  motives 
which  actuated  their  conduct.  Among  such  multitu  s,  however, 
as,  at  times,  were  on  board,  it  will  not  be  deemed  su  ;)risiMg,  that 
some  should  betray  a  thievish  disposition.  One  of  them  took 
out  of  the  Resolution  a  boat's  rudder,  and  mad<^  jff  with  it  so 
speedily  that  it  could  not  be  recovered.  Cap  in  Cook  judged 
this  to  be  a  favourable  opportunity  of  showing  these  people  the 
use  of  fire-arms  ;  and  accordingly  he  ordered  two  or  three  mus- 
kets and  as  many  four-pounders,  to  be  fired  over  the  canoe,  which 
carried  ofif  the  rudder.     It  not  being  intended  that  any  of  the 


:■!'-.,.«,  I 


fm 


ill.;  /  Ul^ 

'I  '  y»: 


!f  HS.|f  i : 


368 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


shot  should  take  effect,  the  surrounding  multitude  of  the  natives 
seemed  to  be  more  surprised  than  terrified. 

Mr.  Bligh,  having  been  sent  to  esamine  a  neighbouring  bay, 
reported,  on  his  return,  that  it  had  good  anchorage  and  fresh 
vtrater,  and  that  it  was  in  an  accessible  svtuation.  Into  this  bay, 
therefore,  the  captain  resolved  to  carry  the  ships,  in  order  to  re- 
fit, and  to  obtain  every  refreshment  which  the  place  could  afford. 
Ac  night  approached,  the  greater  part  of  the  Indians  retired  on 
shore  ;  but  numbers  of  them  requested  permission  to  sleep  on 
board  ;  in  which  request,  curiosity  (at  least  with  regard  to 
severr'  of  them)  was  not  their  sole  motive  ;  for  it  was  found  the 
next  morning,  that  various  things  were  missing  ;  on  which  ac- 
count our  commander  determined  not  to  entertain  so  many  per- 
sons another  night. 

On  the  11th,  the  ships  came  to  an  anchor  in  the  bay  which 
had  been  examined  by  Mr.  Bligh,  and  which  is  called  Karaka- 
kooa  by  the  Inhabitants.  At  this  time,  the  vessels  continued  to 
be  much  crowded  with  natives,  and  were  surrounded  with  a 
multitude  of  canoes.  Captain  Cook,  in  the  whole  course  of  his 
voyages,  had  never  seen  so  numerous  a  body  of  people*  assembled 
in  one  place.  For,  besides  those  who  had  come  oflf  to  the 
English  in  their  canoes,  all  the  shore  of  the  bay  was  covered  with 
spectators,  and  many  hundreds  were  swimming  round  the  ships 
like  shoals  of  fish.  Our  navigators  could  not  avoid  being  greatly 
impressed  with  the  singularity  of  this  scene  ;  and  perhaps  there 
were  few  on  board  that  now  lamented  the  want  of  success  which 
had  attended  the  endeavours  of  getting  homeward,  the  last  sum- 
mer, by  a  northern  passage.  "  To  this  disappointment,"  says 
the  captain,  "  we  owed  our  having  it  in  our  power  to  revisit  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  to  enrich  our  voyage  with  a  discovery, 
which,  though  the  last,  seemed,  in  many  respects  to  be  the  most 
important  that  had  hitherto  been  made  by  Europoans,  through 
out  the  extent  of  the  Pacific  Ocean." 


THIRD    VOYAOK. 


369 


Sach  is  the  senteDce  that  concludes  our  commander's  journal ; 
and  the  satisfaction  with  which  this  sentence  appears  to  have 
been  written,  cannot  fail  of  striking  the  mind  of  every  reader. 
Little  did  Captain  Cook  then  imagine,  that  a  discovery  which 
promised  to  add  no  small  honour  to  his  name,  and  to  bo  produc- 
tive of  very  agreeable  consequences,  should  be  so  fatal  in  the 
result.  Little  did  he  think,  that  the  island  of  Owyhee  was  des- 
tined to  be  the  last  scene  of  his  exploits,  and  the  cause  of  his 
destruction. 

The  reception  which  the  captain  met  with  from  the  natives, 
on  his  proceeding  to  anchor  in  Karakakooa  Bay,  was  flattering 
in  the  highest  degree.  They  came  off  from  the  shore  in  aston- 
ishing numbers,  and  expressed  their  joy  by  singing  and  shouting, 
and  by  exhibiting  a  variety  of  wild  and  extravagant  gestures. 
Pareea,  a  young  man  of  great  authority,  and  Kaneena,  another 
chief,  had  already  attached  themselves  to  .jC?  commander,  and 
were  very  useful  in  keeping  their  countrymv  a  from  being  trouble- 
some. 

During  the  long  cruise  of  our  navigators  off  the  island  of 
Owyhee,  the  inhabitants  had  almost  universally  behaved  with 
great  fairness  and  honesty  in  their  dealings,  and  had  not  shown 
the  slightest  propensity  to  theft  :  and  this  was  a  fact  the  moro 
extraordinary,  as  those  with  whom  our  people  had  hitherto 
maintained  any  intercourse,  were  of  the  lowest  rank,  being  either 
servants  or  fishermen.  But,  after  t\«  arrival  of  the  Resolution 
and  Discovery  in  Karakakooa  Bay,  the  case  was  greatly  altered. 
The  immense  crowd  of  islanders  that  blocked  up  every  part  of 
ihe  ships,  not  only  afforded  frequent  opportunities  of  pilfering 
without  risk  of  detection  ;  but  held  out,  even  if  they  should  be 
detected,  a  prospect  of  escaping  with  impunity,  from  the  superi- 
ority of  their  numbers  to  that  of  the  English.  Another  circum- 
stance, to  which  the  alteration  in  the  conduct  of  the  natives 
might  be  ascribed,  arose  from  the  presence  and  encouragement 

16* 


t'h    ill.  ;  ';    '■' 


if. 


870 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


of  their  chiefs,  into  whose  possession  the  booty  might  be  traced, 
and  whom  there  was  reason  to  suspect  of  being  the  instigators  of 
the  depredations  that  were  committed. 

Soon  after  tlie  Resolution  had  gotten  into  her  station,  Parcea 
and  Kaneena  brought  on  board  a  third  chief,  named  Koah,  wlio 
was  represented  as  being  a  priest,  and  as  having,  in  his  early 
youth,  been  a  distinguished  warrior.  In  the  evening,  Captain 
Cook,  attended  by  Mr.  Bayley  and  Mr.  King,  accompanied  Koah 
on  shore.  TJpen  this  occasion,  the  captain  was  received  with 
very  peculiar  and  extraordinary  ceremonies  ;  with  ceremonies 
that  indicated  the  highest  respect  on  the  part  of  the  natives,  and 
which,  indeed,  seemed  to  fall  little  short  of  adoration. 

One  principal  object  that  engaged  our  commander's  attention 
at  Owyhee,  was  the  salting  of  liogs  for  seastore  ;  in  which  his 
Buccess  was  far  more  complete  than  had  been  attained  in 
any  former  attempt  of  the  same  kind.  It  doth  not  appear, 
that  experiments  relative  to  this  subject  had  been  made  by  the 
navigators  of  any  nation  before  Captain  Cook.  Ilia  first  trials 
were  in  1714,  during  his  second  voyage  round  the  world  ;  when 
h'i.  success,  though  very  imperfect,  was  nevertheless,  suflBcient  to 
encourage  his  farther  efforts  in  a  matter  of  so  much  importance. 
As  the  present  voyage  was  likely  to  be  protracted  a  year  beyond 
the  time  for  which  the  ships  were  victualled,  he  was  under  a 
necessity  of  providing,  by  some  such  method,  for  the  subsistence 
of  the  crews,  or  of  relinquishing  the  prosecution  of  his  dis- 
coveries. Accordingly,  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  renewing  his 
attempts  ;  and  the  event  answered  his  most  sanguine  expecta- 
tions. Captain  King  brought  home  with  him  some  of  the  pork, 
which  was  pickled  at  Ow}hee  in  January,  17*19  ;  and,  upon  its 
being  tasted  by  several  "oersons  in  England  about  Christmas, 
1780,  it  wap  found  to  be  perfectly  sound  and  wholesome.  Ii 
seemed  to  be  destined,  that  in  every  instance  Captain  Cook 
should  excel  all  who  had  gone  before  him,  in  promoting  the  pur- 
poses of  navigation. 


THIRD  VOYAQB. 


871 


Od  the  26th,  the  captain  had  his  first  interview  with  Terreo* 
oboo,  the  king  of  the  island.  The  meeting  was  conducted  with 
a  variety  of  ceremonies,  among  which,  the  custom  of  making  an 
exchange  of  names,  which,  amongst  all  the  islanders  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean  is  the  strongest  pledge  of  friendship,  was  observed. 
When  the  formalities  of  the  interview  were  over,  our  commander 
carried  Terreeoboo,  and  as  many  chiefs  as  the  pinnace  could 
hold,  on  board  the  Resolution.  They  were  received,  on  this 
occasion,  with  every  mark  of  respect  that  could  be  shown  them  j 
and,  in  return  for  a  beautiful  and  splendid  feathered  cloak  which 
the  king  had  bestowed  on  Captain  Cook,  the  captain  put  a  lineu 
shirt  on  his  majesty,  and  girt  his  own  hanger  round  him. 

In  the  progress  of  the  intercourse  which  was  maintained  be- 
tween our  voyagers  and  the  natives,  the  quiet  and  inoffensive 
behaviour  of  the  latter  took  away  every  apprehension  of  danger; 
so  that  the  English  trusted  themselves  among  them  at  all  times, 
and  in  all  situations.  The  Instances  of  kindness  and  civility 
which  our  people  experienced  from  them  were  so  numerous,  that 
they  could  not  easily  be  recounted.  A  society  of  priests,  in  par- 
ticular, displayed  a  generosity  and  mup.idctnce,  of  which  no 
equal  example  had  hitherto  been  given  :  for  they  furnished  a 
constant  supply  of  hogs  and  vegetables  to  our  navigators,  with- 
out ever  demanding  a  return,  or  even  hinting  at  it  in  the  most 
distant  manner.  All  this  was  said  to  be  done  at  the  expense  of 
a  great  man  among  them,  who  was  at  the  head  of  their  body, 
whose  name  was  Kaoo,  and  who  on  other  occasions  manifested 
bis  attachment  to  the  English.  There  was  not  always  so  much 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  conduct  of  the  warrior  chiefs,  or 
earees,  as  with  that  of  the  priests.  Indeed,  the  satisfaction  that 
was  derived  from  the  usual  gentleness  and  hospitality  of  the  in- 
habitants, was  frequently  intorru})tcd  by  the  pru{)cnsity  of  many 
of  them  to  stealing  ;  and  this  circumstance  was  the  more  dis- 
tressing, as  it  sometimes  obliged  our  commander  and  the  other 


\.:m 


872 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


oflicers  to  liave  recc  arse  to  acta  of  severity,  which  they  would 
willingly  have  avoided,  if  the  necessity  of  the  Jase  had  not  abso- 
lutely called  for  thera. 

Though  the  kind  and  liberal  behaviour  of  the  natives  continued 
without  remission,  Terrceoboo,  ami  his  chiefs,  began  at  length  to 
be  very  inquisitive  about  the  time  in  which  our  voyagers  were 
to  take  their  departure.  Nor  will  this  be  deemed  surpris- 
ing, when  it  is  considered,  that,  during  sixteen  days  in  which  the 
English  had  been  in  the  bay  of  Karakakooa,  they  had  made 
an  enormous  consumption  of  hogs  and  vegetables.  It  did  not 
appear,  however,  that  Terreeboo  had  any  other  view  in  his  in- 
quiries, than  a  desire  of  making  suiTicient  preparation  for  dismiss- 
ing our  navigators  with  presents  suitable  to  the  respect  and 
kindness  towards  them  which  he  had  always  displayed.  For,  on 
his  being  informed,  that  they  were  to  leave  the  island  in  a  day 
or  two,  it  was  observed,  that  a  kind  of  proclamation  was  imme- 
diately made  through  the  villages,  requiring  the  people  to  bring 
in  their  hogs  and  vegetables,  for  the  king  to  present  to  the 
orono,*  on  his  quitting  the  country.  Accordingly,  on  the  3d  of 
February,  being  the  day  preceding  the  time  which  had  been  fixed 
for  the  sailing  of  the  ships,  Terreeoboo  invited  Captain  Cook 
and  Mr.  King  to  attend  him  to  the  place  where  Kaoo  resided. 
On  their  arrival,  they  found  the  ground  covered  with  parcels  of 
cloth,  at  a  small  distance  from  which  lay  an  immense  quantity  of 
vegetables  ;  and  near  them  was  a  large  herd  of  hogs.  At  the 
close  of  the  visit,  the  greater  part  of  the  cloth,  and  the  whole  of 
the  hogs  and  vegetables,  were  given  by  Terreeoboo  to  the  cap- 
tain and  Mr.  King  ;  who  were  astonished  at  the  value  and 
magnificence  of  the  proseut ;  for  it  far  exceeded  everything  of 
the  kind  which  they  lad  seen,  either  at  the  Friendly  or  Society 
Islands.  Mr.  King  had  in  so  high  a  degree  conciliated  the 
affections  and  gained  the  esteem  of  the  inhabitants  of  Owyhee, 

*  Orono  WM  a  tiUe  of  high  honour,  which  had  been  bestowed  on  Captain  Cook. 


THIRD   TOT  AG  R, 


373 


!;!*!(i 


that,  with  offers  of  tho  most  flattering  nature,  he  was  strongly 
solicited  to  remain  in  the  country.  Terreeoboo  and  Kaoo  waited 
upon  Captain  Cook,  whose  son  they  supposed  Mr.  Ring  to  be, 
with  a  formal  request  that  he  might  be  left  behind.  To  avoid 
giving  a  postive  refusal  to  an  offer  which  was  so  kindly  intended, 
the  captain  told  them  that  he  could  not  part  with  Mr.  King  at 
that  time,  but  that,  on  his  return  to  the  island  in  the  next  year, 
he  would  endeavour  to  settle  the  matter  to  their  satisfaction. 

Early  on  the  4th,  the  ships  sailed  out  of  Karakakooa  Bay, 
being  followed  by  a  large  number  of  canoes.  It  was  our  com- 
mander's design,  before  he  visited  the  other  islands,  to  finish  the 
survey  of  Owyhee,  in  hopes  of  meeting  with  a  road  better 
sheltered  than  the  bay  he  had  just  left.  In  case  of  not  succeed- 
ing in  this  respect,  he  purposed  to  take  a  view  of  the  southeast 
part  of  Mowee,  where  he  was  informed  that  he  should  find  an 
excellent  harbor. 

The  circumstances  which  brought  Captain  Cook  back  to  Kara- 
kakooa Bay,  and  the  unhappy  consequences  that  followed,  I 
shall  give  from  Mr.  Samwell's  narrative  of  his  death.  This  nar- 
rative was,  in  the  most  obliging  manner,  communicated  to  me  in 
manuscript,  by  Mr.  Samwcll,  with  entire  liberty  to  make  such 
use  of  it  as  I  should  judge  proper.  Upon  a  perusal  of  it,  its 
importance  struck  me  in  su  strong  a  light,  that  I  wished  to  have 
it  separately  laid  before  the  world.  Accordingly,  with  Mr.  Sam- 
well's  concurrence,  I  procured  its  publication,  that,  if  any  objec- 
tions should  be  made  to  it,  I  might  be  able  to  notice  thorn  in 
my  own  work.  As  the  narrative  had  continued  for  more  than 
two  years  unimpeached  and  uncontradicted,  I  esteem  myself  fully 
authorised  to  insert  it  in  this  place,  as  3ontalning  the  most  com- 
plete and  authentic  account  of  the  raeluncholy  catastrophe, 
which,  at  Owyhee,  befel  our  illustrious  navigator  and  comman- 
der. 

"  On  the  6th  we  were  overtaken  by  a  gale  of  wind  ;  an  1  the 


«:| 


M 


S:' 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (AAT-3) 


i 

z 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


Ik 

■10 


12 
Wut- 


1^     1^ 
112     .„„^ 

1.8 


1-4    11.6 


V] 


vQ 


/: 


">/  > 


'/ 


/(S^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


4is 


374 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


next  night,  the  Resolution  had  the  misfortune  of  springin;jj  the 
head  of  the  foremast,  in  such  a  dangerous  manner,  that  Captain 
Cook  was  obliged  to  return  to  Keragegooah,*  in  order  to  have 
it  repaired  ;  for  we  could  find  no  other  convenient  harbour  on 
the  island.  The  same  gale  had  occasioned  much  distress  among 
some  canoes,  that  had  paid  us  a  visit  from  the  shore.  One  of 
them,  with  two  men  and  a  child  on  board,  was  picked  up  by  the 
Resolution,  and  rescued  from  destruction  :  the  men,  having 
toiled  hard  all  night,  in  attempting  to  reach  the  land,  were  so 
much  exhausted,  that  they  could  hardly  mount  the  ship's  side. 
When  they  got  upon  the  quarter-deck,  they  burst  into  tears,  and 
Beemed  much  affected  with  the  dangerous  situation  from  which 
they  had  escaped  ;  but  the  little  child  appeared  lively  and  cheer- 
ful. One  of  the  Resolution's  boats  was  also  so  fortunate,  as  to 
save  a  man  and  two  women,  whose  canoe  had  been  upset  by  the 
violence  of  the  waves.  They  were  brought  on  board,  and,  with 
the  others,  partook  of  the  kindness  and  humanity  of  Captain 
Cook. 

"  Cn  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  the  10th,  we  were  within  a 
few  miles  of  the  harbour  ;  and  were  soon  joined  by  several 
canoes,  in  which  appeared  many  of  our  old  acquaintance,  who 
seemed  to  have  come  to  welcome  us  back.  Among  them  was 
Coo,  aha,  a  priest ;  he  had  brought  a  small  pig,  and  some  cocoa 
nuts  in  his  hand,  which,  after  having  chanted  a  few  sentences,  he 
presented  to  Captain  Clerke.  He  then  left  us,  and  hastened  on 
board  the  Resolution,  to  perform  the  same  friendly  ceremony 
before  Captain  Cook.     Having  but  light  winds  all  that  day,  we 


*  It  Is  proper  to  take  notice,  that  Mr.  Samwell  speUa  the  names  of  several  personi  an4 
places  differently  from  what  is  done  in  the  history  of  the  voyage.    For  instance, 


Karakakooa 

he  calls 

Ke,  rag,  e,  goo,  ah. 

Terreeoboo, 

li 

Karlopoo, 

Eowrowa, 

M 

Eavaroah, 

Kaneecab  areea, 

tt 

Eaneekapo,  herel, 

Ualhft  malba, 

M 

Ka,  mea,  ine&. 

THIRD   VOYAGE. 


375 


could  not  gain  the  harbour.  In  the  afternoon,  a  chief  of  the 
first  rank,  and  nearly  related  to  Kariopoo,  paid  us  a  visit  on 
board  the  Discovery.  His  name  was  Ka,  mea,  mea  :  he  wus 
dressed  in  a  very  rich  feathered  cloak,  which  he  seemed  to  have 
fbrought  for  sale,  but  would  part  with  it  for  nothing  except 
iron  daggers.  These,  the  chiefs,  some  time  before  our  departure, 
had  preferred  to  every  other  article  ;  for,  having  received  8 
plentiful  supply  of  hatchets  and  other  tools,  they  began  to  colleo'. 
a  store  of  warlike  instruments.  Kameamea  procured  nine 
daggers  for  his  cloak  ;  and,  being  pleased  with  his  reception,  he 
and  his  attendants  slept  on  board  that  night, 

"In  the  morning  of  the  11th  of  February,  the  ships  anchored 
again  in  Keragegooah  bay,  and  preparation  was  immediately 
made  for  landing  the  Resolution's  foremast.  We  were  visited 
but  by  few  of  the  Indians,  because  there  were  but  few  in  the 
bay.  On  our  departure,  those  belonging  to  other  parts  had 
repaired  to  their  several  habitations,  and  were  again  to  collect 
from  various  quarters,  before  we  could  expect  to  be  surrounded 
by  such  multitudes  as  we  had  once  seen  in  that  harbour.  In  the 
afternoon,  I  walked  about  a  mile  into  the  country,  to  visit  an 
Indian  friend,  who  had,  a  few  days  before,  come  near  twenty 
miles,  in  a  small  canoe,  to  see  me,  while  the  ship  lay  becalmed. 
As  the  canoe  had  not  left  us  long  before  a  gale  of  wind  came  on, 
I  was  alarmed  for  the  consequences  :  however,  I  had  the  plea- 
sure to  find,  that  my  friend  had  escaped  unhurt,  though  not 
without  some  difficulties.  I  take  notice  of  this  short  excursion, 
merely  because  it  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  observing,  that 
there  appeared  no  change  in  the  disposition  or  behaviour  of  the 
inhabitants.  I  saw  nothing  that  could  induce  me  to  tliink,  that 
thev'  were  displeased  with  our  return,  oi  jealous  of  tiie  intentios 
of  our  second  visit.  On  the  contrary,  that  abundant  good 
nature,  which  had  always  characterised  them,  seemed  still  to 
glow  in  every  bosom,  and  to  animate  every  (jouutenance 


m 


376 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


"  The  next  day,  February  the  12th,  the  ships  were  pnt  under 
a  taboo,  by  the  chiefs  :  a  solemnity,  it  seems,  that  was  requisite 
to  be  obsrrved,  before  Kariopoo,  the  king,  paid  his  first  visit  to 
Captain  Cook,  after  his  return.  He  waited  upon  him  the  same 
'»lay,  on  board  the  Resolution,  attended  by  a  large  train,  some 
of  which  bore  the  presents  designed  for  Captain  Cook  ;  who 
received  him  in  his  usually  friendly  manner,  and  gave  him  several 
articles  in  return.  This  amicable  ceremony  being  settled,  the 
taboo  was  dissolved  :  matters  went  on  in  the  usual  train  ;  and 
the  next  day,  February  the  13th,  we  were  visited  by  the  natives 
in  great  numbers :  the  Resolution's  mast  was  landed,  and  the 
astronomical  observatories  erected  on  their  former  situation.  I 
landed,  with  another  gentleman  at  the  town  of  Kavoroah,  where 
we  found  a  great  number  of  canoes,  just  arrived  from  different 
parts  of  the  island,  and  the  Indians  busy  in  constructing  tem- 
porary huts  on  the  beach,  for  their  residence  during  the  stay  of 
the  ships.  On  our  return  on  board  the  Discovery,  we  learned, 
than  an  Indian  had  been  detected  in  stealing  the  armorer's 
tongs  from  the  forge,  for  which  he  received  a  pretty  severe  flog- 
ging, and  was  sent  out  of  the  ship.  Notwithstanding  the  exam- 
ple made  of  this  man,  in  the  afternoon  another  had  the  audacity 
to  snatch  the  tonga  and  chisel  from  the  same  place,  with  which 
he  jumped  overboard,  and  swam  for  the  shore.  The  master  and 
a  midshidman  were  instantly  dispatched  after  him,  in  the  small 
cutter.  The  Indian,  seing  himself  pursued,  made  for  a  canoe  ; 
his  countrymen  took  him  on  board,  and  paddled  as  swift  as  they 
could  towards  the  shore  ;  we  fired  several  muskets  at  them,  but  to 
'  no  effect,  for  they  soon  got  out  of  reach  of  our  shot.  Pareah, 
one  of  the  chiefs,  who  was  at  that  time  on  board  the  Discovery, 
nnderstanding  what  had  happened,  immediately  went  ashore, 
promising  to  bring  back  the  stolen  goods.  Our  boat  was  so  faf 
distanced,  in  chasing  the  canoe  which  had  taken  the  thief  od 
board,  that  he  had  time  to  make  his  escape  into  tlie  country 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


37T 


■Ills: 
I      liifl 


1  t 


Captain  Cook,  Tvho  was  then  ashore,  endeavonred  to  intercept  his 
landing  ;  but,  it  seems,  that  he  was  led  out  of  the  way  by  some 
of  the  natives,  who  had  officiously  intruded  themselves  as  guides. 
As  the  master  was  approaching  near  the  landing-place  he  was 
met  by  some  of  the  Indians  in  a  canoe  :  they  had  brought  back 
the  tongs  and  chisel,  together  with  another  article,  that  we 
had  not  missed,  which  happened  to  be  the  lid  of  the  water-cask. 
Having  recovered  these  things,  he  was  returning  on  board,  when 
he  was  met  by  the  Resolution's  pinnace,  with  five  men  in  her, 
who,  without  any  orders,  had  come  from  the  observatories  to  his 
assistance.  Being  thus  unexpectedly  reinforced,  he  thought  him- 
self strong  enough  to  insist  upon  having  the  thief,  or  the  canoe 
which  took  him  in,  delivered  up  as  reprisals.  With  that  view 
he  turned  back  ;  and  having  found  the  canoe  on  the  beach,  he 
was  preparimg  to  launch  it  into  the  water,  when  Pareah  made 
bis  appearance,  and  insisted  upon  his  not  taking  it  away,  as  it 
was  his  property.  The  officer  not  regarding  him,  the  chief  seized 
upon  him,  pinioned  his  arms  behind,  and  held  him  by  the  hair  of 
his  head  ;  on  which  one  of  the  sailors  struck  him  with  an  oar  : 
Pareah  instantly  quitted  the  officer,  snatched  the  oar  out  of  the 
man's  hand,  and  snapped  it  in  two  across  his  knee.  At  length 
the  multitude  began  to  attack  our  people  with  stones.  They 
■aade  some  resistance,  but  were  soon  overpowered,  and  obliged 
to  swim  for  safety  to  the  small  cutter,  which  lay  farther  out  than 
the  pinnace.  The  officers,  not  being  expert  swimmers,  retreated 
to  a  small  rock  in  the  water,  where  they  were  closely  pursued  by 
the  Indians.  One  man  darted  a  broken  oar  at  the  master  ;  but 
his  foot  slipping  at  the  time,  he  missed  him,  which  fortunately 
saved  that  officer's  life.  At  last,  Pareah  interfered,  and  put  an 
end  to  their  violence.  The  gentlemen,  knowing  that  his  presence 
was  their  only  defence  against  the  fury  of  the  natives,  entreated 
"nim  to  stay  with  them,  till  they  could  get  off  in  the  boats  :  but 
that  he  refused,  and  left  them.     The  master  went  to  seek  assist 


v^l 

A  j: 

;   ■■ 

l- 

„«|  ■ 

i\ 

,1 

378 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


ance  from  the  party  at  the  observatories  ;  but  the  midshipmaa 
chose  to  remain  in  the  pinnace.  He  was  very  rudely  treated  by 
the  mob,  who  plundered  the  boat  of  everything  that  was  loose 
on  board,  and  then  began  to  knock  her  to  pieces,  for  the  sake  of 
the  iron-work  ;  but  Pareah  fortunately  returned  in  time  to  pre- 
vent her  destruction.  He  had  met  the  other  gentleman  on  hia 
way  to  the  observatories,  and  suspecting  his  erraud,  had  forced 
him  to  return.  He  dispersed  the  crowd  again,  and  desired  tije 
gentlemen  to  return  on  board  ;  they  represented,  that  all  ili-e 
oars  had  been  taken  out  of  the  boat,  on  which  he  brought  some 
of  them  back,  and  the  gentlemen  were  glad  to  get  off  without 
farther  molestation.  They  had  not  proceeded  far,  before  they 
were  overtaken  by  Pareah,  in  a  canoe  :  he  delivered  the  mid- 
shipman's cap,  which  had  been  taken  from  him  in  the  scuffle, 
joined  noses  with  them,  in  token  of  reconciliation,  and  was 
anxious  to  know  if  Captain  Cook  would  kill  him  for  what  had 
happened.  They  assured  him  of  the  contrary,  and  made  signs 
of  friendship  to  him  in  return.  He  then  left  them,  and  paddled 
over  to  the  town  of  Kavaroah,  and  that  was  the  last  time  we 
ever  saw  him.  Captain  Cook  returned  on  board  soon  after, 
much  displeased  with  the  whole  of  this  disagreeable  business;  and 
the  same  night  sent  a  lieutenant  on  board  the  Discovery  to  learn 
the  particulai's  of  it,  as  it  had  originated  in  that  ship. 

It  was  remarkable,  that  in  the  midst  of  the  hurry  and  confu- 
sion attending  this  affair,  Kanynah  (a  chief  who  had  always 
been  on  terms  particularly  friendly  with  us)  came  from  the  spot 
where  it  happened,  with  a  hog  to  sell  on  board  the  Discovery  ; 
it  was  of  an  extraordinary  large  size,  and  he  demanded  for  it  a 
pahowa,  or  dagger,  of  an  unusual  length.  He  pointed  to  us, 
that  it  must  be  as  long  as  his  arm.  Captain  Clerke  not  having 
one  of  that  length,  told  him  he  would  get  one  made  for  him  by 
the  morning  ;  with  which  being  satisfied,  he  left  the  hog,  and 
weni  ashore  without  making  any  stay  with  us.     It  will  not  be 


At 


11 


THIRD   TOYAOK. 


379 


altogetl.ur  foretgn  to  the  subject,  to  mention  a  circumstance  that 
happened  to-day  on  board  the  Resolution.  An  Indian  chief 
asked  Captain  Cook,  at  his  table,  if  he  was  a  Tata  Toa  ;  which 
mtnins  a  fighting  man,  or  a  soldier.  Being  answered  in  the  affir- 
mative, he  desired  to  see  his  wounds.  Captain  Cook  held  out 
his  right  hand,  which  had  a  scar  upon  it,  dividing  the  thumb 
from  the  finger,  the  whole  length  of  the  metacarpal  bones.  The 
Indian,  being  thus  convinced  of  his  being  a  Toa,  put  the  same 
question  to  another  gentleman  present,  but  he  happened  to  have 
none  of  those  distinguishing  marks  :  the  chief  then  said,  that  he 
himself  was  a  Toa,  and  showed  the  scars  of  some  wounds  he  had 
received  in  battle.  Those  vho  were  on  duty  at  the  observa- 
tories, were  disturbed,  during  ii»e  night,  with  shrill  and  melan- 
choly sounds,  issuing  from  the  adjacent  villages,  which  they  took 
to  be  the  lamentations  of  the  women.  Perhaps  the  quarrel 
between  us  might  have  filled  their  minds  with  apprehensions  for 
the  safety  of  their  husbands  ;  but  be  that  as  it  may,  their  mourn- 
ful cries  struck  the  sentinels  with  unusual  awe  and  terror 

'*  To  widen  the  breach  between  us,  some  of  the  Indians,  in  the 
night,  took  away  the  Discovery's  large  cutter,  wiiich  lay  swamp- 
ed at  the  buoy  of  one  of  her  anchors  :  they  had  carried  her  off 
BO  quietly  that  we  did  not  miss  her  till  the  morning,  Sunday, 
February  the  14th.  Captain  Clerke  lost  no  time  in  waiting  upon 
Captain  Cook,  to  acquaint  him  with  the  accident  ;  he  returned 
on  board  with  orders  for  the  launch  and  small  cutter  to  go, 
under  the  command  of  the  second  lieutenant,  and  lie  off  the  east 
point  of  the  bay,  in  order  to  intercept  all  canoes  that  might 
attempt  to  get  out  ;  and,  if  he  found  it  necessary,  to  fire  upon 
them.  At  the  same  time,  the  third  lieutenant  of  the  Resolution, 
with  the  launch  and  small  cutter,  was  sent  on  the  same  service, 
to  the  opposite  point  of  the  bay ;  and  the  master  was  despatched 
in  the  large  cutter,  in  pursu'*-  of  a  double  canoe,  already 
Quder  sail,  making  the  best  of  her  way  out  of  the  harbour.    He 


i:     a  v-i 


11 

I   ill 


I. 

<0 


ifc." 


380 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8 


Boon  came  np  with  her,  and  by  firing  a  few  muskets,  drove  her 
on  shore,  and  the  Indians  left  her  :  this  happened  to  be  the 
canoe  of  Oraea,  a  man  who  bore  the  title  of  Orono.     He  was 
on  board  himself,  and  it  woold  have  been  fortunate,  if  our  peo- 
ple had  secured  him,  for  his  person  was  held  as  sacred  as  that  of 
the  king.    During  this  time,  Captain  Cook  was  preparing  to  go 
ashore  himself,  at  the  town  of  Kavaroah,  in  order  to  secure  the 
person  of  Kariopoo,  before  he  should  have  time  to  withdraw 
himself  to  another  part  of  the  island,  out  of  our  reach.     This 
appeared  the  most  effectual  step  that  could  be  taken  on  the  pre- 
sent occasion,  for  the  recovery  of  the  boat.     It  was  the  measure 
he  had  invariably  pursued,  in  similar  cases,  at  other  islands  in 
these  seas,  and  it  had  always  been  attended  with  the  desired 
success:  in  fact,  it  would  be  diflBcult  to  point  out  any  other  mode 
of  proceeding  on  these  emergencies,  likely  to  attain  the  object  in 
yiew  :  we  had  reason  to  suppose,  that  the  king  and  his  atten- 
dants had  fled  when  the  alarm  was  first  given  :  in  that  case,  it 
was  Captain  Cook's  intention  to  secure  the  large  canoes  which 
were  hauled  up  on  the  beach.     He  left  the  ship  about  seven 
o'clock,  attended,  by  the  lieutenant  of  marines,  a  sergeant,  cor- 
poral,  and  seven  private  men  :  the  pinnace's  crew  were  also 
armed,  and  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Roberts.     As  they  rowed 
towards  the  shore.  Captain  Cook  ordered  the  launch  to  leave  her 
station  at  the  west  point  of  the  bay,  in  order  to  assist  his  own 
boat.    This  is  a  circumstance  worthy  of  notice  ;  for  it  clearly 
shows,  that  he  was  not  unapprehensive  of  meeting  with  resistance 
from  the  natives,  or  unmindful  of  the  necessary  preparations  for 
the  safety  of  himself  and  his  people.    I  will  venture  to  say,  that, 
from  the  appearance  of  things  just  at  that  time,  there  was  not 
one,  beside  himself,  who  judged  that  such  precaution  was  abso- 
lutely requisite  :  so  little  did  his  conduct,  on  the  occasion,  bear 
the  marks  of  rashness,  or  a  precipitate  self-confidence  I      He 
lauded,  with  the  marines,  at  the  upper  end  ^f  the  town  of  Kava- 


THIRD    VOYAOK. 


381 


.    % 


\i 


roab :  the  IndiaoB  immediately  flocked  round,  as  usual,  and 
showed  him  the  customary  marks  of  respect,  by  prostrating 
themselves  before  him — there  were  no  signs  of  hostilities,  or 
much  alarm  among  them.  Captain  Cook,  however,  did  not  seem 
willing  to  trust  to  appearances  ;  but  was  particularly  attentive 
to  the  disposition  of  the  marines,  and  to  have  them  kept  clear 
of  the  crowd.  He  first  inquired  for  the  king's  sous,  two  youths 
who  were  much  attached  to  him,  and  generally  his  companions 
on  board.  Messengers  being  sent  for  them,  they  soon  came  to 
him,  and  informing  him,  that  their  father  was  asleep,  at  a  house 
not  far  from  them,  he  accompanied  them  thither,  and  took  the 
marines  along  with  them.  As  he  passed  along,  the  natives  every 
where  prostrated  themselves  before  him,  and  seemed  to  have 
lost  no  part  of  that  respect  they  had  always  shown  to  his  per- 
son. He  was  joined  by  several  chiefs,  among  whom  was  Kany- 
nah,  and  his  brother  Koohowrooah.  They  Kept  the  crowd  in 
order,  according  to  their  usual  custom  ;  and,  being  ignorant  of 
his  intention  in  coming  on  shore,  frequently  asked  him  if  he 
wanted  any  hogs,  or  other  provisions  :  he  told  them  that  he  did 
not,  and  that  his  business  was  to  see  the  king.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  house,  he  ordered  some  of  the  Indians  to  go  in, 
and  inform  Kariopoo,  that  he  waited  without  to  speak  with  him. 
They  came  out  two  or  three  times,  and  instead  of  returning  any 
answers  from  the  king,  presented  some  pieces  of  red  cloth  to 
him,  which  made  Captain  Cook  suspect  that  he  was  not  in  the 
bouse  ;  he  therefore  desired  the  lieutenant  of  marines  to  go  in. 
The  lieutenant  found  the  old  man  just  awakened  from  sleep,  and 
seemingly  alarmed  at  the  message  ;  but  he  came  out  without 
hesitation.  Captain  Cook  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  in  a 
friendly  manner  asked  him  to  go  on  board,  to  which  he  very 
readily  consented.  Thus  far  matters  appeared  in  a  favourable 
train,  and  the  natives  did  not  seem  much  alarmed  or  apprehen 
give  of  hostility  on  our  side  :  at  which  Captain  Cook  expressed 


:  '!" 


W^> 


I  y 


'ijfc. 


382 


CAPTAIN   cook's 


himself  a  little  surprised,  saving,  that  as  the  inhabitants  of  that 
town  appeared  innocent  of  stealing  tlie  cutter,  he  sliould  not 
molest  tnem,  but  that  he  must  get  tlie  king  on  board.  Kariopoo 
pat  down  before  his  door,  and  was  surrounded  by  a  great  crowd: 
Kanynah  and  his  brother  were  both  very  active  in  keeping  order 
among  them.  In  a  little  time,  however,  the  Indians  were 
observed  arming  themselves  with  long  spears,  clubs,  and  daggers 
and  putting  on  thick  mats  which  they  use  as  armour.  This  hos- 
tile ajjpearance  increased,  and  became  more  alarming,  on  the 
arrival  of  two  men  in  a  canoe  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay, 
with  the  news  of  a  chief  called  Kareemo  having  been  killed  by 
one  of  the  Discovery's  boats.  In  their  passage  across  they  had 
also  delivered  this  account  to  each  of  the  ships.  Upon  that 
information  the  women  who  were  sitting  upon  the  beach  at  their 
breakfasts,  and  conversing  familiarly  with  our  people  in  the 
boats,  retired,  and  a  confused  murmur  spread  through  the  crowd. 
An  old  priest  came  to  Captain  Cook,  with  a  cocoa-nut  in  his 
hand,  which  he  held  out  to  him  as  a  present,  at  the  same  time 
singing  very  loud.  He  was  often  desired  to  be  silent,  but  in 
Tain  ;  he  continued  importunate  and  troublesome,  and  there  was 
no  such  thing  as  getting  rid  of  him  or  his  noise  :  it  seemed  as  if 
he  meant  to  divert  our  attention  from  his  countrymen,  who 
were  growing  more  tumultuous,  and  arming  themselves  in  every 
quarter.  Captain  Cook,  being  at  the  same  time  surrounded  by 
a  great  crowd,  thought  his  situation  rather  hazardous  :  he  there- 
fore ordered  the  lieutenant  of  marines  to  march  his  small  party 
to  the  water-side,  where  the  boats  lay  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
shore  :  the  Indians  readily  made  a  lane  for  them  to  pass,  and 
did  not  offer  to  interrupt  them.  The  distance  they  had  to  go 
might  be  about  fifty  or  sixty  yards  ;  Captain  Cook  followed, 
having  hold  of  Kariopoo's  hand,  who  accompanied  him  very 
willingly  :  he  was  attended  by  his  wife,  two  sons,  and  several 
shiefs.     The  troublesome  old  priest  followed,  making  the  same 


THIRD    VOYAGE. 


88.3 


fcarage  noise.  Keowa,  the  younj:^cr  son,  wont  directly  into  the 
pinnace,  expecting  his  father  to  follow  ;  but  just  as  he  arrived 
at  the  water  side,  his  wife  threw  her  arms  ahout  his  neck,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  two  chiefs,  forced  hira  to  sit  down  by  the 
side  of  a  double  canoe.  Captain  Cook  expostulated  with  them, 
but  to  no  purpose  :  they  would  not  suffer  the  king  to  proceed, 
telling  him,  that  he  would  be  put  to  death  if  he  went  on  board 
the  ship.  Kariopoo,  whose  conduct  seemed  entirely  resigned  to 
the  will  of  others,  hung  down  his  head,  and  appeared  much  dis- 
tressed. 

"  While  the  king  was  in  this  situation,  a  chief  well  known  to 
us,  of  the  name  Coho,  was  observed  lurking  near,  with  an  iron 
dagger,  partly  concealed  under  his  cloak,  seemingly  with  the 
intention  of  stabbing  Captain  Cook,  or  the  lieutenant  of  marines. 
The  latter  proposed  to  fire  at  him,  but  Captain  Cook  would  not 
permit  it.  Coho  closing  upon  them,  obliged  the  officer  to  strike 
him  with  his  piece,  which  made  him  retire.  Another  Indian  laid 
hold  of  the  sergeant's  musket  and  endeavoured  to  wrench  it 
from  him,  but  was  prevented  by  the  lieutenant's  making  a  blow  at 
him.  Captain  Cook,  seeing  the  tumult  increase,  and  the  Indiana 
growing  more  daring  and  resolute,  observed,  that  if  he  were  to 
take  the  king  off  by  force,  he  could  not  do  it  without  sacrificing 
the  lives  of  many  of  his  people.  He  then  paused  a  little,  and  was 
on  the  point  of  giving  his  orders  to  re-embark,  when  a  man  threw 
a  stone  at  him  ;  which  he  returned  with  a  discharge  of  small 
shot  (with  which  one  barrel  of  his  double  piece  was  loaded). 
The  man  having  a  thick  mat  before  him,  received  little  or  no 
hurt :  he  brandished  his  spear,  and  threatened  to  dart  it  at  Cap- 
tai  Cook,  who  being  still  unwilling  to  take  away  his  life,  instead 
of  firing  with  ball,  knocked  him  down  with  his  musket.  He  ex- 
postulated strong'y  with  the  most  forward  of  the  crowd,  upon 
their  turbulent  behaviour.  He  had  given  up  all  thoughts  of 
getting  the  king  on  board,  as  it  appeared  impracticable  ;  and  hi^ 


;i:. 


\u 


n 


<■•■ 

I'li 


884 


CAPTAIN   COOK'S 


care  was  then  only  to  act  on  the  defcnsiTo,  and  to  secure  a  safe 
embarkation  for  his  small  party,  which  was  closely  pressed  by  a 
body  of  several  thousand  people.  Keowa,  the  king's  son,  who 
was  in  the  pinnace,  being  alarmed  on  hearing  tlie  iirst  firing,  was, 
at  his  own  entreaty,  {)ut  on  shore  again  ;  for  even  at  that  time, 
Mr.  Roberts,  who  commanded  her,  did  not  apprehend  that  Ga[>- 
tain  Cook's  person  was  in  any  danger  :  otherwise  he  would  have 
detained  the  prince,  which,  no  doubt  would  have  been  a  great 
check  on  the  Indians.  One  man  was  ob6erved,*behind  a  double 
canoe,  in  the  action  of  darting  his  spear  at  Captain  Cook,  who 
was  forced  to  fire  at  him  in  his  own  defence,  but  happened  to 
kill  another  close  to  him,  equally  forward  in  the  tumult :  the  ser- 
geant observing  that  he  had  missed  the  man  he  aimed  at, 
received  orders  to  fire  at  him,  which  he  did  and  killed  him.  By 
this  time,  the  impetuosity  of  the  Indians  was  somewhat  repressed  ; 
they  fell  back  in  a  body,  and  seemed  staggered  :  but  being  pushed 
on  by  those  behind,  they  returned  to  the  charge,  and  poured  a 
volley  of  stones  among  the  marines,  who,  without  waiting  for 
orders,  returned  it  with  a  general  discharge  of  musketry,  which 
was  instantly  followed  by  a  fire  from  the  boats.  At  this  Captain 
Cook  was  heard  to  express  his  astonishment :  he  waved  his  hand 
to  the  boats,  called  to  them  to  cease  firing,  and  to  come  nearer 
in  to  receive  the  marines.  Mr.  Roberts  immediately  brought 
the  pinnace  as  close  to  the  shore  as  he  could  without  grounding, 
notwithstanding  the  showers  of  stones  that  fell  among  the  peo- 
ple :  but •,  the  lieutenant  who  commanded  in  the  launch, 

instead  of  pulling  in  to  the  assistance  of  Captain  Cook,  withdrew 
his  boat  farther  off,  at  the  moment  that  everything  seems  to 
have  depended  upon  the  timely  exertions  of  those  in  the 
boats  By  his  own  account,  he  mistook  the  signal ;  but  be  that 
as  it  may,  this  circumstance  appears  to  me  to  have  decided  the 
f&tal  turn  of  the  affair,  and  to  have  removed  every  chance  which 
remained  with  Captain  Cook,  of  escaping  with  his  life.    The  busi 


■V 


THIRD    VOYAOK. 


386 


nei8  oi  saving  tlio  marines  out  of  the  water,  in  con^eqaenco 
of  that,  fell  altogether  upon  the  pinnace  ;  which  thereby 
became  so  much  crowded,  that  the  crew  were  in  a  great  measure 
prevented  from  using  their  fire-arms,  or  giving  what  assistance 
they  otherwise  might  have  done  to  Captain  Cook  ;  so  that 
he  seems  at  the  most  critical  point  of  time  to  have  wanted 
the  afisistance  of  both  boats,  owing  to  the  removal  of  the 
launch.  For,  notwithstanding  that  they  kept  up  a  fire  on  the 
crowd,  from  the  situation  to  whi«!h  they  had  removed  in  that 
boat,  the  fatal  confusion  which  entiued  on  her  being  withdrawn, 
to  say  the  least  of  it,  must  have  prevented  the  full  effect,  that 
the  prompt  cooperation  of  the  two  boats,  according  to  Captain 
Cook's  orders,  must  have  had,  towards  the  preservation  of  him- 
self and  his  people.*  At  that  time,  it  was  to  the  boats  alone 
that  Captain  Cook  had  to  look  for  his  safety  ;  for  when  the  mar- 
ines had  fired,  the  Indians  rushed  among  them,  and  forced  them 
into  the  water,  where  four  of  them  were  killed  :  their  lieutenant 
was  wounded,  but  fortunately  escaped,  and  was  taken  up  by  the 
pinnace.  Captain  Cook  was  then  the  only  one  remaining  on  the 
rock  :  he  was  observed  making  for  the  pinnace,  holding  his  left 
hand  against  the  back  of  his  head,  to  guard  it  from  the  stones, 
and  carrying  his  musket  under  the  other  arm.  An  Indian  was 
seen  following  him,  bet  with  caution  and  timidity  :  for  he  stop- 
ped once  or  twice,  as  if  undetermined  to  proceed.  At  last  he 
advanced  unon  him  unawares,  and  with  a  large  club,  or  common 
stake,  gave  him  a  blow  ou  the  back  of  the  head,  and  then  pre- 
cipitately retreated.  The  stroke  seemed  to  have  stunned  Cup 
tain  Cook  :  he  staggered  a  few  paces,  then  fell  on  his  hand  and 
oue  knee,  and  dropped  his   musket.      As  he  was   rising,  and 


*  I  have  been  informed,  on  the  best  authority,  that,  in  the  opinion  of  Captain  Phillips, 
who  commanded  the  marines,  and  whose  Judgment  must  of  the  grentest  neight,  it  Is  ex- 
tremely doubtful  whether  any  thing  could  successfully  have  been  done  to  preserve  th« 
life  of  Oaptain  Cook,  even  If  no  mistAk*  had  beea  committed  on  the  part  of  the  Uurch. 


n 


886 


CAPTAIN  cook's 


before  he  conld  recover  his  feet,  another  Indian  stabbed  him  in 
the  back  of  the  neck  with  an  iron  dagger.  He  then  fell  into  a 
bite  of  water  about  knee  deep,  where  others  crowded  upon  him, 
and  endeavoured  to  keep  him  under  :  but  struggling  very 
strongly  with  them,  he  got  his  head  up,  and  casting  his  look  to- 
wards the  pinnace,  seemed  to  solicit  assistance.  Thought  the  boat 
was  not  above  five  or  six  yards  distant  from  him,  yet  from  the 
crowded  and  confused  state  of  the  crew,  it  seems  it  was  not  in 
their  power  to  save  him.  The  Indians  got  him  under  again,  but 
in  deeper  water  :  he  was  however  able  to  get  his  head  up  once 
more,  and  being  almost  spent  in  the  struggle,  he  naturally  turn- 
ed to  the  rock,  and  was  endeavouring  to  support  himself  by  it, 
when  a  savage  gave  him  a  blow  with  a  club,  and  he  was  seen 
alive  no  more.  They  hauled  him  up  lifeless  on  the  rocks,  where 
they  seemed  to  take  a  savage  p-epsnre  in  using  every  barbarity 
to  his  dead  body,  snatching  the  daggers  out  of  each  other's 
hands,  to  have  the  horrid  satisfaction  of  piercing  the  fallen  vic- 
tim of  their  barbarous  rage. 

"  I  need  make  no  reflection  on  the  great  loss  we  suffered  on 
this  occasion,  or  attempt  to  describe  what  we  felt.  It  is  enough 
to  say,  that  no  man  was  ever  more  beloved  or  admired  ;  and  it  is 
truly  painful  to  reflect,  that  he  seems  to  have  fallen  a  sacrifice 
merely  for  want  of  being  properly  supported  ;  a  fate  singularly 
to  be  lamented,  as  having  fallen  to  his  lot,  who  had  ever  been 
conspicuous  for  his  care  of  those  under  his  command,  and  who 
seemed,  to  the  last,  to  pay  as  much  attention  to  their  preserva- 
tion, as  to  that  of  his  own  life. 

"  If  anything  could  have  added  to  the  shame  and  indignation 
universally  felt  on  this  occasion,  it  was  to  find  that  his  remains 
had  been  deserted,  and  left  exposed  on  the  beach,  although  they 
might  have  been  brought  ofi".  It  appears  from  the  information 
of  four  or  five  midshipmen,  who  arrived  on  the  spot  at  the  con« 
elusion  of  the  fatal  businessi  that  the  beach  was  then  almost 


THIRD   VOYAGE. 


887 


entirely  deserted  by  the  Indians,  who  at  length  had  given  way 
to  the  fire  of  the  boats,  and  dispersed  through  the  town  :  so 
that  there  seemed  no  great  obstacle  to  prevent  the  recovery  of 
CaptaiQ  Cook's  body  ;  bat  the  lieutenant  returned  on  board 
without  making  the  attempt.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  longer 
on  this  painful  subject,  and  to  relate  the  complaints  and  censures 
that  fell  on  the  conduct  of  the  lieutenant.  It  will  be  sufficient  to 
observe,  that  they  were  so  loud  as  to  oblige  Captain  Gierke 
publicly  to  notice  them,  and  to  take  the  depositions  of  his  accusers 
down  in  writing.  The  captain's  bad  state  of  health  and  ap- 
proaching dissolution,  it  is  supposed,  induced  him  to  destroy  these 
papers  a  short  time  before  his  death. 

"  It  is  a  painful  task,  to  be  obliged  to  notice  circumstances 
which  seem  to  reflect  upon  the  character  of  any  man.  A  strict 
regard  to  truth,  however,  compelled  me  to  the  insertion  of  these 
facts,  which  I  have  offered  merely  as  facts,  without  presuming  to 
connect  with  them  any  comment  of  my  own  :  esteeming  it  the 
part  of  a  faithful  historian,  '  to  extenuate  nothing,  nor  set  down 
aught  in  malice.' 

"  The  fatal  accident  happened  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
about  an  hour  after  Captain  Cook  landed.  It  did  not  seem,  that 
the  king  or  his  sons  were  witnesses  to  it ;  but  it  is  supposed 
that  they  withdrew  in  the  midst  of  the  tumult.  The  principal 
actors  were  the  other  chiefs,  many  of  them  the  king's  relations 
and  attendants  :  the  man  who  stabbed  him  with  the  dugger  was 
called  Nooah.  I  happened  to  be  the  only  one  who  recollected  his 
person,  from  having  on  a  former  occasion  mentioned  his  name  in 
the  journal  I  kept.  I  was  induced  to  take  particular  notice  of 
him,  more  from  his  personal  appearance  than  any  other  consider- 
ation, though  he  was  of  high  rank,  and  a  near  relation  of  the 
king :  he  was  stout  and  tall,  with  a  fierce  look  and  demeanour, 
and  one  who  united  in  his  figure  the  two  qualities  of  strength 
and  agility,  in  a  greater  degree  than  ever  I  remembered  to  have 
seen  before  in  any  other  man.      His  age  might  be  about  thirty. 


88 


CAPTAIN   COOK'S 


and  by  the  white  scurf  on  his  skin,  and  his  sore  eyes,  he  appea^ 
ed  to  be  a  hard  drinker  of  kava.  He  was  a  constant  companion 
of  the  king,  with  whom  I  first  saw  him,  when  he  paid  a  visit  to 
Captain  Gierke.  The  chief  who  first  struck  Captain  Cook  with 
the  club,  was  called  Karimano,  craha,  but  I  did  not  know  him 
by  his  name.  These  circumstances  I  learned  of  honest  Kairee- 
kea,  the  priest ;  who  added,  that  they  were  both  held  in  great 
esteem  on  account  of  that  action  :  neither  of  them  came  near  us 
afterwards.  When  the  boats  left  the  shore,  the  Indians  carried 
away  the  dead  body  of  Captain  Cook  and  those  of  the  marines, 
to  the  rising  ground,  at  the  back  of  the  town,  where  we  could 
plainly  see  them  with  our  glasses  from  the  ships. 

"  This  most  melancholy  accident  appears  to  have  been  altoge- 
ther unexpected  and  unforeseen,  as  well  on  the  part  of  the 
natives  as  ourselves.  I  never  saw  sufficient  reason  to  induce  me 
to  believe  that  there  was  anything  of  design,  or  a  preconcerted 
plan  on  their  side,  or  that  thoy  purposely  sought  to  quarrel  with 
us  ;  thieving,  which  gave  rise  to  the  whole,  they  were  equally 
guilty  of  in  our  first  and  second  visits.  It  was  the  cause  of 
every  misunderstanding  that  happened  between  us  :  their  petty 
thefts  were  generally  overlooked,  but  sometimes  slightly  punished; 
the  boat,  which  they  at  last  ventured  to  take  away,  was  an 
object  of  no  small  magnitude  to  people  in  our  situation,  who 
could  not  possibly  replace  her,  and  therefore  not  slightly  to  be 
given  up.  We  had  no  other  chance  of  recovering  her,  but  by 
getting  the  person  of  the  king  into  our  possession  :  on  our 
attempting  to  do  that,  the  natives  became  alarmed  for  his  safety, 
and  naturally  opposed  those  whom  they  deemed  his  enemies.  In 
the  sudden  conflict  that  ensued,  we  had  the  unspeakable  misfor- 
tune of  losing  our  excellent  commander,  in  the  manner  already 
related.  It  is  in  this  light  the  affair  has  always  appeared  to  me 
as  entirely  accidental,  and  not  in  the  least  owing  to  any  previous 
offence  received,  cr  jealousy  of  our  second  visit  entertaited  by 
the  natives. 


THIRD   VOYAGK. 


8&C 


"  Pareah  seems  to  have  been  the  principal  instrument  in  brings 
ing  aboQt  this  fatal  disaster.  We  learned  afterwards,  that  it 
was  he  who  had  employed  some  people  to  steal  the  boat :  the 
king  did  not  seem  to  be  privy  to  it,  or  even  apprised  of  what 
had  happened,  till  Captain  Cook  landed. 

"  It  was  generally  remarked,  that,  at  first,  the  Indians  showed 
great  resolution  in  facing  our  fire-arms  ;  but  it  was  entirely 
owing  to  ignorance  of  their  eflfect.  They  thought  that  their 
thick  mats  would  defend  them  from  a  ball,  as  well  as  from  a 
stone  ;  but  being  soon  convinced  of  their  error,  yet  still  at  a 
loss  to  account  how  such  execution  was  done  among  them,  they 
had  recourse  to  a  stratagem,  which,  though  it  answered  no  other 
purpose,  served  to  show  their  ingenuity  and  quickness  of  inven- 
tion. Observing  the  flashes  of  the  muskets,  they  naturally  con- 
cluded, that  water  would  counteract  their  effect,  and  therefore, 
very  sagaciously,  dipped  their  mats,  or  armour,  in  the  sea,  just 
as  they  came  on  to  face  our  people  :  but  finding  this  last  resource 
to  fail  them,  they  soon  dispersed,  and  left  the  beach  entirely  clear. 
It  was  an  object  they  never  neglected,  even  at  the  greatest 
hazard,  to  carry  off  their  slain  ;  a  custom  probably  owing  to 
the  barbarity  with  which  they  treat  the  dead  body  of  an  enemy, 
and  the  trophies  they  make  of  his  bones." 

In  consequence  of  this  barbarity  of  disposition,  the  whole 
remains  of  Captain  Cook  could  not  be  recovered.  For,  though 
every  exertion  was  made  for  that  purpose  ;  though  negotiations 
and  threatenings  were  alternately  employed,  little  more  than  the 
principal  part  of  his  bones  (and  that  with  great  difficulty)  could 
be  procured.  By  the  possession  of  them,  our  navigators  were 
enabled  to  perform  the  last  offices  to  their  eminent  and  unfortu- 
nate commander.  The  bones,  having  been  put  into  a  coffin,  and 
the  service  being  read  over  them,  were  committed  to  the  deep, 
on  the  21st,  with  the  usual  military  honours.  What  were  the 
feelings  of  the  companies  of  both  the  ships,  on  this  occasion, 


I 


111: 


■WW' 

m 


I 


^\ 


390 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


must  be  left  to  the  world  to  conceive  ;  for  those  who  were 
present  know,  that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  any  pen  to  expresi 
them. 

A  promotion  of  officers  followed  the  decease  of  Captain  Cook. 
Captain  Clerke  having  succeeded  of  course  to  the  command  of 
the  expedition,  removed  on  board  the  Resolution.  By  him  Mr 
Gore  was  appointed  captain  of  the  Discovery,  and  the  rest  of 
the  lieutenants  obtained  an  addition  of  rank,  in  their  proper 
order.  Mr.  Harvey,  a  midshipman,  who  had  been  in  the  last  as 
well  as  the  present  voyage,  was  promoted  to  the  vacant  lieuten- 
ancy. 

Not  long  after  Captain  Cook's  death,  an  event  occurred  iu 
Europe,  which  had  a  particular  relacion  to  the  voyage  of  our 
navigator,  and  which  was  so  honourable  to  himself,  and  to  the 
great  nation  from  whom  it  proceeded,  that  it  is  no  small  plea- 
sure to  me  to  be  able  to  lay  the  transaction  somewhat  at  large 
before  my  readers.  What  I  refer  to  is,  the  letter  which  was 
issued,  on  the  19th  of  March,  1179,  by  M.  Sartine,  secretary  of 
the  marine  department  at  Paris,  and  sent  to  all  the  commanders 
of  French  ships.  The  rescript  was  as  follows  :  "  Captain  Cook, 
who  sailed  from  Plymouth  iu  July,  1716,  on  board  the  Resolu- 
tion, iu  company  with  the  Discovery,  Captain  Clerke,  in  order  to 
make  some  discoveries  on  the  coasts,  islands,  and  seas  of  Japan 
and  California,  being  on  the  point  of  returning  to  Europe  ;  and 
such  discoveries  being  of  general  utility  to  all  nations,  it  is  the 
king's  pleasure,  that  Captain  Cook  shall  be  treated  as  a  comman- 
der of  a  neutral  and  allied  power,  and  that  all  captains  of 
armed  vessels,  etc.  who  may  meet  that  famous  navigator,  shall 
make  him  acquainted  with  the  king's  orders  on  this  behalf,  but, 
at  the  same  time,  let  him  know,  that  on  his  part  he  must  refrain 
from  all  hostilities."  By  the  Marquis  of  Condorcet  we  are 
informed,  that  this  measure  originated  in  the  liberal  and  pulight- 
ened  mind  of  that  excellent  citizen  and  statesman,  M.  Turgot 


TUIED   VOYAGE. 


891 


"  Wlien  war,"  says  the  marquis,,"  was  declared  between  Franco 
and  England,  M.  Turgot  saw  how  honourable  it  would  be  to  the 
French  nation,  that  the  vessel  of  Captain  Cook  should  be  treated 
with  respect  at  sea.  He  composed  a  memorial,  in  which  he 
proved,  that  honour,  reason,  and  even  interest,  dictated  this  act 
of  respect  for  humanity  ;  and  it  was  in  consequence  of  this  memo- 
rial, the  author  of  which  was  unknown  during  his  life,  that  an 
order  was  given  not  to  treat  as  an  enemy,  the  common  benefac- 
tor of  every  European  nation." 

Whilst  great  praise  is  due  to  M.  Turgot,  for  having  suggested 
the  adoption  of  a  measure  which  hath  contributed  so  much  to  the 
reputation  of  the  French  government,  it  must  not  be  forgotten, 
that  the  first  thought  of  such  a  plan  of  conduct  was  probably 
owing  to  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin.  Thus  much,  at  least,  is  cer- 
tain, that  this  eminent  philosopher,  when  ambassador  at  Paris 
from  the  United  States  of  America,  preceded  the  court  of  France 
in  issuing  a  similar  requisition  ;  a  copy  of  which  cannot  fail  of 
being  acceptable  to  the  reader. 


<i 


To  all  Captains  and  Commanders  of  arm^d  Ships  acting  by 
Commission  from  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
now  in  war  with  Great  Britain. 


^m  li 


!,   '■    % 


"  Gentlemen, 

"  A  ship  having  been  fitted  out  from  England  before  the 
commencement  of  this  war,  to  make  discoveries  of  new  countries, 
in  unknown  seas,  under  the  conduct  of  that  most  celebrated  navi- 
gator and  discoverer.  Captain  Cook,  an  undertaking  truly 
laudable  in  itself,  as  the  increase  of  geographical  knowledge 
facilitates  the  communication  between  distant  nations,  in  the 
exchange  of  useful  products  and  manufactures,  and  the  exten- 
sion of  arts,  whereby  the  common  enjoyments  of  human  life  are 
multiplied  and  augmented,  and  science  of  other  kmds  increased, 


M 


892 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8 


to  the  benefit  of  mankiDd  in  general. — This  is  therefore  most 
earnestly  to  recommend  to  every  one  of  yon,  that  in  case  the 
said  ship,  which  is  now  expected  to  be  soon  in  the  Earopean 
seas  on  her  return,  should  happen  to  fall  into  your  bands,  you 
would  not  consider  her  as  an  enemy,  nor  suffer  any  plunder  to  be 
made  of  the  effects  contained  in  her,  nor  obstruct  her  immediate 
return  to  England,  by  detaining  her,  or  sending  her  into  any  other 
part  of  Europe,  or  to  America  ;  but  that  you  would  treat  the 
said  Captain  Cook  and  his  people  with  all  civility  and  kindness, 
affording  them,  as  common  friends  to  mankind,  all  the  assistance 
in  your  power,  which  they  may  happen  to  stand  in  need  of.  In 
80  doing,  you  will  not  only  gratify  the  generosity  of  your  own 
dispositions,  but  there  is  no  doubt  of  your  obtaining  the  appro- 
bation of  the  Congress,  and  your  other  American  owners. 
"  I  have  the  honour  to  be.  Gentlemen, 

"  Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

"  B.  Franklin. 
"  At  Paaay,  near  Paris,  "  Minister  Plenipotentiary  from  ttie 

this  10th  day  of  March,  1119.  Congress  of  the  United  States, 

at  the  Court  of  France." 


It  is  observable,  that,  as  Dr.  Franklin  acted  on  his  own 
authority,  he  could  only  earnestly  recommend  to  the  commanders 
of  American  armed  vessels  not  to  consider  Captain  Cook  as  an 
enemy ;  and  it  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  he  mentions  no 
more  than  one  ship  ;  Captain  Clerke  not  being  noticed  in  the 
requisition.  In  the  confidence  which  the  doctor  expressed,  with 
respect  to  the  approbation  of  Congress,  he  happened  to  be  mis- 
vaken.  As  the  members  of  that  assembly,  at  least  with  regard 
to  the  greater  part  of  them,  were  not  possessed  of  minds  equally 
enlightened  with  that  of  their  ambassador,  he  was  not  supported 
by  his  masters  in  this  noble  ac*.  of  humanity,  of  love  to  science, 
and  of  liberal  policy.    The  orders  he  had  given  were  instantly 


THIRD    VOYAGE. 


893 


reversed  ;  and  it  was  directed  by  Congress,  that  especial  care 
should  be  taken  to  seize  Captain  Cook,  if  an  opportauitj  of 
doing  it  occurred.  All  this  proceeded  from  a  false  notion,  that 
it  would  be  injurious  to  the  United  States  for  the  English  to 
obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  opposite  coast  of  America. 

The  conduct  of  the  court  of  Spain  was  regulated  by  similiar, 
principles  of  jealousy.  It  was  apprehended  by  that  court,  that 
there  was  reason  to  be  cautious  of  granting,  too  easily,  an  indul- 
gence to  Captain  Cook  ;  since  it  was  not  certain  what  mischiefs 
might  ensue  to  the  Spainards  from  a  northern  passage  to  their 
American  dominions.  M.  de  Belluga  a  Spanish  gentleman  and 
officer,  of  a  liberal  and  philosophical  turn  of  mind,  and  who  was 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Society  of  London,  endeavoured  to  pre- 
vail upon  the  Count  of  Florida  Blanca,  and  M.  d'Almodavar,  to 
grant  an  order  of  protection  to  the  Resolution  and  Discovery  ; 
and  he  flattered  himself,  that  the  ministers  of  the  king  of  Spain 
would  be  prevailed  upon  to  prefer  the  cause  of  science  to  the 
parUal  views  of  interest ;  but  the  Spanish  government  was  not 
capable  of  rising  to  so  enlarged  and  magnanimous  a  plan  of 
policy.  To  the  French  nation  alone,  therefore,  was  reserved  the 
honour  of  setting  an  example  of  wisdom  and  humanity,  which,  I 
trust,  will  not,  hereafter,  be  so  uncommon  in  the  history  of  man- 
kind. 

The  progress  of  the  voyage,  after  the  decease  of  Captain  Cook, 
doth  not  fall  within  the  design  of  the  present  narrative.'*' 


ii-  ji 


(<'' 


n« 


■  n.ii 


m 


™:  ' 


894 


CHARAOTEB  OF 


CHAPTER   VII. 

CHARACTER   OF   CAPTAIN   COOK — EFFECTS   OF   HIS    TOTAGES — TE8TI 
MONIES     OF     APPLAUSE — COMMEMORATIONS      OF    HIS     SERVICES — 
REGARD   PA2D  TO   HIS    FAMILT— HJONCLUSION. 


From  the  relation  that  has  been  given  of  Captain  Cook's 
course  of  life,  and  of  the  important  events  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged, my  readers  cannot  be  strangers  to  his  general  character. 
This,  therefore,  might  be  left  to  be  collected  from  his  actions, 
which  are  the  best  exhibitions  of  the  great  qualities  of  his  mind. 
But  perhaps,  were  I  not  to  endeavour  to  afford  a  summary  view 
of  him  in  these  respects,  I  might  be  thought  to  fail  in  that  doty 
which  I  owe  to  the  public  on  the  present  occasion. 

It  cannot,  I  think,  be  denied,  that  genius  belonged  to  Captain 
Cook  in  an  eminent  degree.  By  genius  I  do  not  here  understand 
imagination  merely,  or  that  power  of  culling  the  flowers  of  fancy 
which  poetry  delights  in  ;  but  an  inventive  mind  ;  a  mind  full  of 
resources  .  and  which,  by  its  own  native  vigour,  can  suggest 
noble  objects  of  pursuit,  and  the  most  effectual  methods  of  attain- 
ing them.  This  faculty  was  possessed  by  our  navigator  in  its 
full  energy,  as  is  evident  from  the  uncommon  sagacity  and  pene- 
tration which  he  discovered  in  a  vast  variety  of  critical  and 
difficult  situations. 

To  genius  Captain  Cook  added  application,  without  whic 
nothing  very  valuable  or  permanent  can  be  accomplished,  even 
by  the  brightest  capacity.     For  an  unremitting  attention  to 
whatever  related  to  his  profession,  he  was  distinguished  in  early 
Ife.    In  every  affair  that  was  andertaken  by  him,  his  assiduitv 


CAPTAIN   COOK. 


395 


was  without  interruption,  and  without  abatement.  Wherever 
he  came,  he  suffered  nothing,  which  was  1 1  for  a  seaman  to  know 
or  to  practice,  to  pass  unnoticed,  or  to  escape  his  diligence. 

The  genius  and  application  of  Captain  Cook  were  followed  by 
a  large  extent  of  knowledge  ;  a  knowledge  which,  besides  a  con* 
summate  acquaintance  with  navigation,  comprehended  a  number 
of  other  sciences.  In  this  respect  the  ardour  of  his  mind  rose 
above  the  disadvantages  of  a  very  confined  education.  His  pro- 
gress in  the  different  branches  of  lue  mathematics,  and  particu- 
larly in  astronomy,  became  so  eminent,  that,  at  length,  he  was 
able  to  take  the  lead  in  making  the  necessary  observations  of 
this  kind,  in  the  course  of  his  voyages.  He  attained  likewise  to 
such  a  degree  of  proficiency  in  general  learning,  and  the  art  of 
composition,  as  to  be  able  to  express  himself  with  a  manly  clear- 
ness and  propriety,  and  to  become  respectable  as  the  narrator, 
as  well  as  the  performer,  of  great  actions. 

Another  thing,  strikingly  conspicuous  in  Captain  Cook,  was 
the  perseverance  with  which  he  pursued  the  noble  objects  to 
which  his  life  was  devoted.  This,  indeed,  was  a  most  distin- 
guished feature  in  hio  character  :  in  this  he  scarcely  ever  had  an 
equal,  and  never  a  superior.  Nothing  could  divert  him  from  the 
points  he  aimed  at ;  and  he  persisted  in  the  prosecution  of  them 
through  difficulties  and  obstructions,  which  would  have  deterred 
minds  of  very  considerable  strength  and  firmness. 

What  enabled  him  to  persevere  in  all  his  mighty  undertakings, 
was  the  invincible  fortitude  of  his  spirit. 

Of  this,  instances  without  number  occur  in  the  accounts  of  his 
expeditions  ;  two  of  which  I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  recalling  to 
the  attention  of  my  readers.  The  first  is,  the  undaunted  mag- 
nanimity with  which  he  prosecuted  his  discoveries  along  the 
wliole  southeast  coast  of  New  Holland.  Surrounded  as  he  was 
with  the  greatest  possible  dangers,  arising  from  the  perpetual 
succession  of  rocks,  shoals,  and  breakers,  and  having  a  ship  that 


1, 1"    i: 


iii; 


396 


OnARACTEB   OF 


was  almost  shaken  to  pieces  by  repeated  perils,  his  vigoroufl 
mind  had  a  regard  to  nothing  but  wliat  he  thought  was  required 
of  him  oy  his  duty  to  tlie  public.  It  will  not  be  easy  to  find,  in 
the  history  of  navigation,  a  parallel  example  of  courageous  exer- 
tion. The  other  circumstance  I  would  refer  to,  is  the  boldness 
with  which,  in  his  second  voyage,  after  he  left  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  he  pushed  forward  into  unknown  seas,  and  penetrated 
through  innumerable  mountains  and  islands  of  ice,  in  the  search 
of  a  southern  continent.  It  was  like  launching  into  chaos : 
all  was  obscurity,  all  was  darkness  before  him  ;  and  no 
event  can  be  compared  with  it,  excepting  the  sailing  of  Mi»^el- 
haens,  from  the  straits  which  bear  his  name,  into  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

The  fortitude  of  Oaptain  Cook,  being  founded  upon  reason, 
and  not  upon  instinct,  was  not  an  impetuous  valour,  but  accom- 
panied with  complete  self-possession.  He  was  master  of  himself 
on  every  trying  occasion,  and  seemed  to  be  the  more  calm  and 
collected,  the  greater  was  the  exigence  of  the  case.  In  the 
most  perilous  situations,  when  our  commander  had  given  the 
proper  directions  concerning  what  was  to  be  done  while  he  went 
to  rest,  he  could  sleep,  during  the  hours  he  had  alloted  to  him- 
self, with  perfect  composure  and  soundness.  Nothing  could  be 
a  surer  indication  of  an  elevated  mind  ;  of  a  mind  that  was  en- 
tirely satisfied  with  itself,  and  the  measures  it  had  taken. 

To  all  these  great  qualities.  Captain  Cook  added  the  most 
amiable  virtues.  That  it  was  impossible  for  any  one  to  excel 
him  in  humanity,  is  apparent  from  his  treatment  of  his  men 
through  all  liis  voyages,  and  from  his  behaviour  to  the  natives 
of  the  countries  which  were  discovered  by  him.  The  health,  the 
convenience,  and,  as  far  as  it  could  be  admitted,  the  enjoyment 
of  the  seamen,  were  the  constant  objects  of  his  attention  ;  and 
he  was  anxiously  solicitous  to  meliorate  the  condition  of  the  iu- 
habitants  of  the  several  islands  and  places  which  he  visited 


CAPTAIN    COOK. 


897 


With  regard  to  their  thieveries,  he  candidly  apologized  for,  and 
overlooked,  many  offences  which  others  would  have  sharply  pun« 
ished:  and  when  he  was  laid  under  an  indispensable  necessity  of 
proceeding  to  any  acts  of  severity,  he  never  exerted  them,  with- 
out feeling  much  reluctance  and  concern. 

In  the  private  relations  of  life,  Captain  Cook  was  entitled  to 
high  commendations.  He  was  excellent  as  a  husband  and  a 
father,  and  sincere  and  steady  in  his  friendships  :  and  to  this  it 
may  be  added,  that  he  possessed  that  general  sobriety  and  virtue 
of  character,  which  will  always  be  found  to  constitute  the  best 
security  and  ornament  of  every  other  moral  qualification. 

With  the  greatest  benevolence  and  humanity  of  disposition, 
Captain  Cook  was  occasionally  subject  to  a  hastiness  of  temper. 
This,  which  has  been  exaggerated  by  the  few  (and  they  are  in- 
deed few)  who  are  unfavourable  to  his  memory,  is  acknowledged 
by  his  friends.  It  is  mentioned  both  by  Captain  King  and  Mr. 
Samwell,  in  their  delineations  of  his  character.  Mr.  Ilayley,  in 
one  of  his  poems,  calls  him  the  mild  Cook  ;  but,  perhaps,  that  is 
qot  the  happiest  epithet  which  could  have  been  applied  to  him. 
Mere  mildness  can  scarcely  be  considered  as  the  most  prominent 
and  distinctive  feature  in  the  mind  of  a  man,  whose  powers  of 
understanding  and  of  action  were  so  strong  and  elevated,  who 
had  such  immense  difficulties  to  struggle  with,  and  who  must  fre- 
quently have  been  called  to  the  firmest  exertions  of  authority 
and  command. 

Lastly,  Captain  Cook  was  distinguished  by  a  property  which 
is  almost  universally  the  concomitant  of  truly  great  men,  and  that 
is,  a  simplicity  of  manners.  In  conversation  he  was  unafiectcd 
and  unassuming  ;  rather  backward  in  pushing  discourse  ;  but 
obliging  and  communicative  in  his  answers  to  those  who  addressed 
him  for  the  purposes  of  information.  It  was  not  possible,  that, 
In  a  mind  constituted  like  his,  such  a  paltry  quality  as  vanity 
eoald  find  an  exlste&ce. 


f  , 


898 


OHARAOTEB   OF 


In  this  imperfect  delineation  of  Captain  Cook's  character,  I 
have  spoicen  of  him  in  a  manner  which  is  fully  justified  by  the 
whole  course  of  his  life  and  actions,  and  which  is  perfectly  agree- 
able to  the  sentiments  of  those  who  were  the  most  nearly  con- 
nected with  him  in  the  habits  of  intimacy  and  friendship.  Thu 
pictures  which  some  of  them  have  drawn  of  him,  though  they 
have  already  been  presented  to  the  public,  cannot  here  with  pro- 
priety be  omitted.  Captain  King  has  expressed  himself  concern- 
ing him  in  the  following  terms.  "  The  constitution  of  his  body 
was  robust,  inured  to  labour,  and  capable  of  undergoing  tlio 
severest  hardships.  His  stomach  bore,  without  dlEBculty,  the 
coarsest  and  most  ungrateful  food  : — Great  was  the  indifFereuce 
with  which  he  submitted  to  every  kind  of  self-denial.  The  qual- 
ities of  his  mind  were  of  the  same  hardy  vigorous  kind  with  those 
of  his  body.  His  understanding  was  strong  and  perspicacious. 
His  judgment,  in  whatever  related  to  the  services  he  was  engaged 
in,  quick  and  sure.  His  designs  were  bold  and  manly  ;  and  both 
in  the  conception,  and  in  the  mode  of  execution,  bore  evidtMit 
marks  of  a  great  original  genius.  His  courage  was  cool  and 
determined,  and  accompanied  with  an  admirable  presence  of 
mind  in  the  moment  of  danger.  His  temper  might  perhaps  have 
been  justly  blamed,  as  subject  to  hastiness  and  passion,  had  not 
these  been  disarmed  by  a  disposition  the  most  benevolent  and 
humane. 

"  Such  were  the  outlines  of  Captain  Cook's  character  ;  but  its 
most  distinguishing  feature  was  that  unremitting  perseverance  in 
the  pursuit  of  his  object,  which  was  not  only  superior  to  the 
opposition  of  dangers,  and  the  pressure  of  hardships,  but  even 
exempt  from  the  want  of  ordinary  relaxation.  During  the  long 
and  tedious  voyages  in  which  he  was  engaged,  his  eagerness  and 
activity  were  never  in  the  least  abated.  No  incidental  tempta- 
tion could  detain  him  for  a  moment :  even  those  intervals  of 
retjreation,  wLich  sometimes  unavoidably  occurred,  and  were 


CAPTAIN   COOK. 


399 


looked  for  by  us  with  a  longing,  that  persons,  who  hate  cxperi* 
enced  the  fatigues  of  service,  will  readily  excuse,  were  8ubinitt3d 
to  by  him  with  a  certain  impatience,  whenever  they  could  not  bo 
employed  in  making  a  farther  provision  for  the  more  effectual 
prosecution  of  his  designs." 

"  The  character  of  Captain  Cook,"  says  Mr.  Samwell,  "  will 
be  best  exemplified  by  the  services  he  has  performed,  which  are 
universally  known,  and  have  ranked  his  name  above  that  of  any 
navigator  of  ancient  or  of  modern  times.  Nature  had  endowed 
u>im  with  a  mind  vigorous  and  comprehensive,  which  in  his  riper 
years  he  had  cultivated  with  care  and  industry.  His  general 
knowledge  was  extensive  and  various  :  in  that  of  his  own  profes- 
sion, he  was  unequalled.  With  a  clear  judgment,  strong  mascu- 
line sense,  and  the  most  determined  resolution  ;  with  a  genius 
peculiarly  turned  for  enterprise,  he  pursued  his  object  with 
unshaken  perseverance  : — vigilant  and  active  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree : — cool  and  intrepid  among  dangers  ;  patient  and  firm  under 
difficulties  and  distress  ;  fertile  in  expedients  ;  great  and  original 
in  all  his  designs  ;  active  and  resolved  in  carrying  them  into 
execution.  These  qualities  rendered  him  the  animating  spirit  of 
the  expedition  :  in  every  situation,  he  stood  unrivalled  and 
alone  ;  on  him  all  eyes  were  turned  ;  he  was  our  leading-star, 
which,  at  its  setting,  left  us  involved  in  darkness  and  despair. 

"  His  constitution  was  strong,  his  mode  of  living  temperate. 
He  was  a  modest  man,  and  rather  bashful  ;  of  an  agreeable, 
lively  conversation,  sensible  and  intelligent.  In  his  temper  he 
was  somewhat  hasty,  but  of  a  disposition  the  most  friendly,  be- 
nevolent, and  humane.  His  person  was  above  six  feet  high,  and, 
though  a  good-looking  man,  he  was  plain  both  in  address  and 
appearance.  His  head  was  small ;  his  hair,  which  was  a  dark 
brown,  he  wore  tied  behind.  His  face  was  full  of  expression  ; 
bis  nose  exceedingly  well  shaped  ;  his  eyes,  which  were  small  and 
of  a  brown  cast,  were  quick  and  piercing  ;  his  eye-brows  promi* 


I 


t'.' 


.,  \f. 


400 


CHARACTER   OF 


nent,  which  gave  his  coantenance  altogether  an  air  of  aa» 
terity. 

"  He  was  beloved  by  his  people,  who  looked  up  to  him  as  a 
father,  and  obeyed  his  commands  with  alacrity.  The  confidence 
we  placed  in  him  was  unremitting  ;  our  admiration  of  his  great 
talents,  unbounded  ;  our  esteem  for  his  good  qualities,  aflfection* 
ate  and  sincere. 

"  He  was  remarkably  distinguished  for  the  activity  of  his  mind  : 
it  was  that  which  enabled  him  to  pay  an  unwearied  attention  to 
every  object  of  the  service.  The  strict  economy  he  observed  in 
the  expenditure  of  the  ship's  stores,  and  the  unremitting  care  he 
employed  for  the  preservation  of  the  health  of  his  people,  were 
the  causes  that  enabled  him  to  prosecute  discoveries  in  remote 
parts  of  the  globe,  for  such  a  length  of  time,  as  had  been  deemed 
impracticable  by  former  navigators.  The  method  he  discovered 
for  preserving  the  health  of  seamen  in  long  voyages,  will  transmit 
his  name  to  posterity  as  the  friend  and  benefactor  of  mankind  . 
the  success  which  attended  it  afforded  this  truly  great  man  more 
satisfaction  than  the  distinguished  fame  that  attended  his  dis- 
coveries. 

"  England  has  been  unanimous  in  her  tribute  of  applause  to 
his  virtues,  and  all  Europe  has  borne  testimony  to  his  merit. 
There  is  hardly  a  corner  of  the  earth,  however  remote  and  savage, 
that  will  not  long  remember  his  benevolence  and  humanity.  The 
grateful  Indian,  in  time  to  come,  pointing  to  the  herds  grazing 
his  fertile  plains,  will  relate  to  his  children  how  the  first  stock  of 
them  was  introduced  into  the  country  ;  and  the  name  of  Cook 
will  be  remembered  among  those  benign  spirits,  whom  they  wor- 
ship as  the  source  of  every  good,  and  the  fountain  of  every 
blessing." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Introduction  to  the  Voyage  to  tho 
Pacific  Ocean,  is  an  eulogium  on  Captain  Cook,  drawn  up  by 
one  of  his  own  profession,  of  whom  it  is  said,  that  he  is  not  moiu 


CAPTAIN    COOK. 


401 


distinguished  by  tl/e  elevation  of  rank,  chan  by  the  dignity  of 
private  virtues.  Though  this  excellent  eulogium  must  be  knomi 
to  many,  and  perhaps  to  most,  of  my  readers,  they  will  not  be 
displeased  at  having  the  greater  part  of  it  brought  to  their  recol- 
Ijction. 

Captain  James  Cook  "  possessed,"  say  the  writer,  "  in  an  emi- 
nent degree,  all  the  qualifications  requisite  for  his  profession  and 
great  undertakings  ;  together  with  the  amiable  and  worthy  qual- 
ities of  the  best  men. 

"  Cool  and  deliberate  in  judging  :  sagacious  in  determining  : 
active  in  executing  :  steady  and  persevering  in  enterprising  from 
vigilance  and  unremitting  caution  :  unsubdued  by  labour,  difficul- 
ties, and  disappointments  ;  fertile  in  expedients  :  never  wanting 
presence  of  mind  :  always  possessing  himself,  and  the  full  use  of 
a  sound  understanding. 

"  Mild,  just,  but  exact  in  discipline  :  he  was  a  father  to  his 
people,  who  were  attached  to  him  from  affection,  and  obedient 
from  confidence. 

"  His  knowledge,  his  experience,  his  sagacity,  rendered  him  so 
entirely  master  of  his  subject,  that  the  greatest  obstacles  were 
enrmounted,  and  the  most  dangerous  navigations  became  easy, 
and  almost  safe,  under  his  direction. 

"  By  his  benevolent  and  unabating  attention  to  the  welfare  of 
his  ship's  company,  he  discovered  and  introduced  a  system  for 
the  preservation  of  the  health  of  seamen  in  long  voyages,  which 
has  proved  wonderfully  efficacious. 

**  The  death  of  this  eminent  and  valuable  man  was  a  loss  to 
mankind  in  general ;  and  particularly  to  be  deplored  by  every 
nation  that  respects  useful  accomplishments,  that  honours  science, 
and  loves  the  benevolent  and  amiable  afl'ections  of  the  heart. 
It  is  still  more  to  be  deplored  by  this  country,  which  may  justly 
boast  of  having  produced  a  man  hitherto  unequHlled  for  nautical 
talents ;  and  that  sorrow  is  farther  aggravated  by  the  reflection. 


■■  m  I 


'  Vm 


402 


CHARACTER   OF 


that  his  country  was  deprived  of  this  ornament  by  the  enmity  of ; 
people,  from  wham,  indeed,  it  might  have  been  dreaded,  but  from 
whom  it  was  not  deserved.  For,  actuated  always  by  the  most 
attentive  care  and  tender  compassion  for  the  savages  in  general, 
this  excellent  man  was  ever  assiduously  endeavouring,  by  kind 
treatment,  to  dissipate  their  fears  and  court  their  friendship; 
overlooking  their  thefts  and  treacheries,  and  frequently  interpos- 
ing, at  the  hazard  of  his  life,  to  protect  them  from  the  sudden 
resentment  of  his  own  injured  people. 

"  Traveller  I  contemplate,  admire,  revere,  and  emulate  this 
great  master  in  his  profession  ;  whose  skill  and  labours  have 
enlarged  natural  philosophy  ;  have  extended  nautical  science  : 
and  have  disclosed  the  long-concealed  and  admirable  arrangements 
of  the  Almighty  in  the  formation  of  this  globe,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  the  arrogance  of  mortals,  in  presuming  to  account,  by  their 
speculations,  for  the  laws  by  which  he  was  pleased  to  create  it. 
It  is  now  discovered,  beyond  all  doubt,  that  the  same  great  Being 
who  created  the  universe  by  his  fiat,  by  the  same  ordained  our 
earth  to  keep  a  just  poise,  without  a  corresponding  southern  con- 
tinent, and  it  does  so.  He  stretches  out  the  north  o'>'?,r  the  empty 
space,  and  hangeth  the  earth  upon  nothing.     Job  xxvi.  7. 

"  If  the  arduous  but  exact  researches  of  this  extraordinary  man 
have  not  discovered  a  new  world,  they  have  discovered  seas 
nnnavigated  and  unknown  before.  They  have  made  us  acquainted 
with  islands,  people,  and  productions  of  which  we  had  no  con- 
ception. And  if  he  has  not  been  so  fortunate  as  Americus,  to 
give  his  name  to  a  continent,  his  pretensions  to  such  a  distinc- 
tion remain  unrivalled  ;  and  he  will  be  revered  while  there  re- 
mains a  page  of  his  own  modest  account  of  his  voyages,  and  as 
long  as  mariners  and  geographers  shall  be  instructed  by  his  new 
map  of  the  southern  hemisphere,  to  trace  the  various  courses  and 
iiscoveries  he  has  made. 

•'  If  public  services  merit  public  acknowledgments,  if  the  man, 


CAPTAIN   OOOK. 


403 


who  adorned  and  raised  the  fame  of  his  country,  is  deserving  of 
honours,  then  Captain  Cook  deserves  to  have  a  monument  raised 
to  his  memory,  by  a  generous  and  grateful  nation. 
'  Yirtutis  uberrimum  alimentum  est  honos.' 

Val.  Maximus,  lib.  ii.  cap.  6." 


The  last  character  I  shall  here  insert  of  Captain  Cook,  comes 
from  a  learned  writer,  who,  in  consequence  of  some  disagreements 
which  are  understood  to  have  subsisted  between  him  and  our 
navigator,  cannot  be  suspected  of  intending  to  celebrate  him  in 
the  language  of  flattery.  Dr.  Keinhold  Forster,  having  given  a 
short  account  of  the  captain's  death,  adds  as  follows  :  •'  Thus 
fell  this  truly  glorious  and  justly  admired  navigator.  If  we  con- 
sider his  extreme  abilities,  both  natural  and  acquired,  the  firmness 
and  constancy  of  his  mind,  his  truly  paternal  care  for  the  crew 
intrusted  to  him,  the  amiable  manner  with  which  he  knew  how 
to  gain  the  friendship  of  all  the  savage  and  uncultivated  nations, 
and  even  his  conduct  towards  his  friends  and  acquaintance,  we 
must  acknowledge  him  to  have  been  one  of  the  greatest  men  of 
his  age,  and  that  reason  justifies  the  tear  which  friendship  pays 
to  his  memory."  After  such  an  encomium  on  Captain  Cook,  less 
regard  may  justly  be  paid  to  the  deductions  from  it,  which  are 
added  by  Dr.  Foister.  What  he  hath  said  concerning  the  cap- 
tain's temper,  seems  to  have  received  a  tincture  of  exaggeration, 
from  prejudice  and  personal  animosity  ;  and  the  doctor's  insinua- 
tion, that  our  navigator  obstructed  Lieutenant  Pickersgill's  pro- 
motion, is,  I  have  good  reason  to  believe,  wholly  groundless. 
There  is  another  error  which  must  not  pass  unnoticed.  Dr 
Forster  puts  in  his  caveat  against  giving  the  name  of  Cook's  Straits 
to  the  straits  between  Asia  and  America,  discovered  by  Beering. 
But  if  the  Doctor  had  read  the  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
published  by  authority,  he  would  have  seen,  that  there  was  no 
design  of  robbing  Beering  of  the  honour  to  which  he  was  entitled. 


!:    4 


;):*(■ 


404 


OHARAOTEB   OF 


From  a  survey  of  Captain  Cook's  character,  it  is  natural  to 
extend  our  reflections  to  the  eflfects  of  the  several  expeditions  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  These,  indeed,  must  have  largely  ai> 
peared  in  the  general  history  of  his  life  ;  and  they  have  finely 
been  displayed  by  Dr.  Douglas,  in  his  admirable  Introduction  to 
the  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Under  the  conduct  of  so  able 
a  guide,  I  shall  subjoin  a  short  view  of  the  subject. 

It  must,  however,  be  observed,  that,  with  regard  to  the  three 
principal  consequences  of  our  great  navigator's  transactions,  I 
have  nothing  farther  to  offer.  These  are,  his  having  dispelled 
the  illusion  of  a  Terra  Australis  Incognita  ;  his  demonstration 
of  the  impracticability  of  a  northern  passage  from  the  Pacific  to 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  ;  and  his  having  established  a  sure  method 
of  preserving  the  health  of  seamen  in  the  longest  voyages,  and 
through  every  variety  of  latitude  and  climate.  Concerning  each 
of  these  capital  objects,  I  have  already  so  fully  spoken,  that  it  is 
not  in  my  power  to  add  to  the  impression  of  their  importance, 
and  of  Captain  Cook's  merits  in  relation  to  them,  which,  I  trust, 
is  firmly  fixed  on  the  minds  of  every  reader. 

It  is  justly  remarked,  by  Dr.  Douglas,  that  one  great  advantage 
accruing  to  the  world  from  our  late  surveys  of  the  globe,  is,  tiiat 
they  have  confuted  fanciful  theories,  too  likely  to  give  birth  to 
impracticable  undertakings.  The  ingenious  reveries  of  specula- 
tive philosophers,  which  have  so  long  amused  the  learned,  and 
raised  the  most  sanguine  expectations,  are  now  obliged  to  sul> 
mit,  perhaps  with  reluctance,  to  the  sober  dictates  of  truth  and 
experience.  Nor  will  it  be  only  by  discouraging  future  unprofit- 
able searches,  that  the  late  voyages  will  be  of  service  to  mankind, 
but  also  by  lessening  the  dangers  and  distresses  formerly  expe- 
rienced in  those  seas  which  are  within  the  actual  line  of  com- 
merce and  navigation.  From  the  British  discoveries,  many 
commercial  improvements  may  h^  expected  to  arise  in  our  own 
times  ;  but,  in  future  ages,  such  improvements  may  be  extended 


CAPTAIN   COOK. 


405 


to  a  degree,  of  which,  at  present,  we  have  no  conception.  In  the 
long  chain  of  causes  and  effects,  no  one  can  tell  how  widely  and 
beneficially  the  mutual  intercourse  of  the  various  inhabitants  of 
the  earth  may  hereafter  be  carried  on,  in  consequence  of  the 
means  of  facilitating  it,  which  have  been  explored  and  pointed 
out  by  Captain  Cook. 

The  interests  of  science,  as  well  as  of  commerce,  stand  highly 
indebted  to  this  illustrious  navigator.  That  a  knowledge  of  the 
globe  on  which  we  live  is  a  very  desirable  object,  no  one  can  call 
in  question.  This  is  an  object  which,  while  it  is  ardently  pursued 
by  the  most  enlightened  philosophers,  is  sought  for  with  avidity, 
even  by  those  whose  studies  do  not  carry  them  beyond  the  lowest 
rudiments  of  learning.  It  need  not  be  said  what  gratification  Cap- 
tain Cook  hath  provided  for  the  world  in  this  respect.  Before  the 
voyages  of  the  present  reign  took  place,  nearly  half  the  surface  of 
ihe  earth  was  hidden  in  obscurity  and  confusion.  From  the  dis- 
coveries of  our  navigator,  geography  has  assumed  a  new  face, 
and  become,  in  a  great  measure,  a  new  science  ;  having  attained 
to  such  a  completion,  as  to  leave  only  some  less  important  part^ 
of  the  globe  to  be  explored  by  future  voyagers.* 

Happily  for  the  advancement  of  knowledge,  acquisitions  can- 
not be  obtained  in  any  one  branch,  without  leading  to  acquisi- 
tions in  other  branches,  of  equal,  and  perhaps  of  superior 
consequence.  New  oceans  cannot  be  traversed,  or  new  countries 
visited,  without  presenting  fresh  objects  of  speculation  and  inquiry, 
and  carrying  the  practice,  as  well  as  the  theory,  of  philosophy 
to  a  higher  degree  of  perfection.  Nautical  astronomy,  in  partic* 
ular,  was  in  its  infancy,  when  the  late  voyages  were  first  un- 
dertaken ;  but,  during  the  prosecution  of  them,  and  especirJIy 
in  Captain  Cook's  last  expedition,  even  many  of  the  petty  ufiicers 
could  observe  the  distance  of  the  moon  from  the  sun,  or  a  star, 
the  most  delicate  of  all  observations,  with  sufficient  accuracy 

*  Lieuteoant  RoberU't  admirable  chart  will  set  thli  matter  in  the  strongest  light. 


r     ^ 


406 


EFFECTS    OF 


As  for  the  officers  of  superior  rank,  they  would  have  felt  tlicm 
selves  ashamed  to  have  it  thought  that  they  did  not  know  how 
to  observe  for  and  compute  the  time  at  sea  ;  though  such  a  thing 
had,  a  little  time  before,  scarcely  been  heard  of  among  seamen. 
Nay,  first-rate  philosophers  had  doubted  the  possibility  of  doing 
it  with  the  exactness  that  could  be  wished.  It  must,  however, 
be  remembered,  that  a  large  share  of  praise  is  due  to  the  Board 
of  Longitude,  for  the  proficiency  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  navy  in 
taking  observations  at  sea.  In  consequence  of  the  attention  of 
that  board  to  this  important  object,  liberal  rewards  have  been 
given  to  mathematicians  for  perfecting  the  lunar  tables,  and  facil- 
itating calculations  ;  and  artists  have  been  amply  encouraged  in 
the  construction  of  instruments  and  watches,  much  more  accur- 
ately and  completely  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  navigation  than 
formerly  existed. 

It  is  needless  to  mention  what  a  quantity  of  additional  infor- 
mation has  been  gained  with  respect  to  the  rise  and  times  of  the 
flowing  of  the  tides  ;  the  direction  and  force  of  currents  at  sea  ; 
and  the  cause  and  nature  of  the  polarity  of  the  needle,  and  the 
theory  of  its  variations.  Natural  knowledge  has  been  increased 
by  experiments  on  the  effects  of  gravity  in  different  and  very 
distant  places  ;  and  from  Captain  Cook's  having  penetrat'^d  so 
far  into  the  Southern  Ocean,  it  is  now  ascertained,  that  the  phe- 
nomenon, usually  called  the  Aurora  Borealis,  is  not  peculiar  to 
high  northern  latitudes,  but  belongs  equally  to  all  cold  climates, 
whether  they  be  north  or  south. 

Amidst  the  different  branches  of  science  that  have  been  pro- 
moted by  the  late  expeditions,  there  is  none,  perhaps,  that  stands 
80  highly  indebted  to  them  as  the  science  of  botany.  At  least 
twelve  hundred  new  plants  have  been  added  to  the  known 
system  ;  and  large  accessions  of  intelligence  have  accrued  with 
regard  to  every  other  part  of  natural  history.  This  point  has 
already  been  evinced  by  the  writings  of  Dr.  Sparrman,  of  tb« 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8    VOYAGES. 


407 


two  Forstcrs,  father  and  son,  and  of  Mr.  Pennant  ;  an  i  thia 
point  will  illustriously  be  manifested,  when  the  great  work  of 
Sir  Joseph  Banks  shall  be  accomplished,  and  given  to  the  world. 

It  is  not  to  the  enlargement  of  natural  knowledge  only,  that 
the  effects  arising  from  Captain  Cook's  voyages  are  to  be  con- 
fined. Another  important  object  of  study  has  been  opened  by 
them  ;  and  that  is,  the  study  of  human  nature,  in  situations 
various,  interesting,  and  uncommon.  The  islands  visited  in  the 
centre  of  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  principal  scenes  of 
the  operations  of  our  discoverers,  were  untrodden  ground.  As 
the  inhabitants,  so  far  as  could  be  observed,  had  continued,  from 
their  original  settlement,  unmixed  with  any  different  tribe  ;  as 
they  had  been  left  entirely  to  their  own  powers  for  every  art  of 
life,  and  to  their  own  remote  traditions  for  every  political  or 
religious  custom  or  institution  ;  as  they  were  uninformed  by  sci- 
ence, and  unimproved  by  education,  they  could  not  but  afford 
many  subjects  of  speculation  to  an  inquisitive  and  philosophical 
mind.  Hence  may  be  collected  a  variety  of  important  facts  with 
resi  ect  to  the  state  of  man :  with  respect  to  his  attainments  and 
deficiencies,  his  virtues  and  vices,  his  employments  and  diversions, 
his  feelings,  manners,  and  customs,  in  a  certain  period  of  society. 
Even  the  curiosities  which  have  been  brought  from  the  discov- 
ered islands,  and  which  enrich  the  British  Museum,  and  the  late 
Sir  Ashton  Lever's  repository,  may  be  considerea  as  a  valuable 
acquisition  to  this  country  ;  as  supplying  no  small  fund  of  infor- 
mation and  entertainment. 

Few  inquiries  are  more  interesting  than  those  which  relate  to 
the  migrations  of  the  various  families  or  tribes  that  have  peopled 
the  earth.  It  was  known  in  general,  that  the  Asiatic  nation, 
called  Malayans,  possessed,  in  former  times,  much  the  greatest 
trade  in  the  Indies  ;  and  that  they  frequented,  with  their  mer- 
chant ships,  not  only  all  the  coasts  of  Asia,  but  ventured  over 
even  tu  the  coasts  of  Alrica,  and  particularly  to  the  great  island 


■'  I  ■  }■ 


§■1  ' 


•/  \ 


i 


I 


ill 

Ml 


40d 


EFFECTS    OF 


of  Madag-aacar.  But  that,  from  Madagascar  to  the  Marquesas 
and  Easter  Island,  that  is,  nearly  from  the  east  side  of  Africa, 
till  we  approach  towards  the  west  side  of  America,  a  space 
including  above  half  the  circumference  of  the  globe,  the  same 
nation  of  the  oriental  world  should  have  made  their  settlements, 
and  founded  colonies  throughout  almost  every  intermediate  stage 
of  this  immense  tract,  in  islands  at  amazing  distances  from  tlie 
mother  continents,  and  the  natives  of  which  were  ignorant  of 
each  other's  existence — is  an  historical  fact,  that,  before  Captain 
Cook's  voyages,  could  be  but  very  imperfectly  known.  He  it  is 
who  hath  discovered  a  vast  number  of  new  spots  of  land  lurking 
in  the  bosom  of  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  all  the  inhabitants  of 
which  display  striking  evidences  of  their  having  derived  their 
descent  from  one  common  Asiatic  original.  Nor  is  this  apparent 
solely  from  a  similarity  of  customs  and  institutions,  but  is  estab- 
lished by  a  proof  which  conveys  irresistible  conviction  to  the 
mind,  and  that  is,  the  affinity  of  language.  The  collections  that 
have  been  made  of  the  words  which  are  used  in  the  widelv- 
diffused  islands  and  countries  that  have  lately  been  visited,  can- 
not fail,  in  the  hands  of  such  men  as  a  Bryant  and  a  Marsdon,  to 
throw  much  light  on  the  origin  of  nations,  and  the  peopling  of 
the  globe.  From  Mr.  Marsden,  in  particular,  who  has  devoted 
his  attention,  time,  and  study  to  this  curious  subject,  the  lite- 
rary world  may  hereafter  expect  to  be  highly  instructed  and 
entertained. 

There  is  another  family  of  the  earth,  concerning  which  new 
information  has  been  derived  from  the  voyages  of  our  British 
navigators.  That  the  Esquimaux,  who  had  hitherto  only  been 
found  seated  on  the  coasts  of  Labrador  and  Hudson's  Bay, 
agreed  with  the  Greenlanders  in  every  circumstance  of  customs, 
manners,  and  language,  which  could  demonstrate  an  original 
identity  of  nation,  had  already  been  ascertained.  But  that  the 
lame  tribe  now  actually  inhabit  the  islands  and  coasts  on  the 


dor. 


CAPTAIN    COOK  3    VOYAGES. 


409 


tth 


west  side  of  North  America,  opposite  Kamtscliatka,  was  a  dis- 
covery, the  completion  of  which  was  reserved  for  Captain  Cook. 
From  his  account,  it  appears  that  these  people  have  extended 
their  migrations  to  Norton  Sound,  Oonalashka,  and  Prince  Wil- 
liam's Sound  :  that  is,  to  nearly  the  distance  of  fifteen  hundred 
leagues  from  their  stations  in  Greenland,  and  the  coast  of  Labra- 
dor. Nor  does  this  curious  fact  rest  merely  on  the  evidence 
arising  from  similitude  of  manners  ;  for  it  stands  confirmed  by  a 
table  of  words,  exhibiting  such  an  affinity  of  language  as  will 
remove  every  doubt  from  the  mind  of  the  most  scrupulous  in- 
quirer. 

Other  questions  there  are,  of  a  very  important  nature,  the 
solution  of  which  will  now  be  rendered  more  easy  than  hath 
heretofore  been  apprehended.  From  the  full  confirmation  of  the 
vicinity  of  the  two  continents  of  Asia  and  America,  it  can  no 
longer  be  represented  as  ridiculous  to  believe,  that  the  former 
furnished  inhabitants  to  the  latter.  By  the  facts  recently  dis- 
covered, a  credibility  is  added  to  the  Mosaic  account  of  the 
peopling  of  the  earth.  That  account  will,  I  doubt  not,  stand 
the  test  of  the  most  learned  and  rigorous  investigation.  Indeed, 
1  have  long  been  convinced,  after  the  closest  meditation  of  which 
I  am  capable,  that  sound  philosophy  and  genuine  revelation 
never  militate  against  each  other.  The  rational  friends  of  re- 
ligion are  so  far  from  dreading  the  spirit  of  inquiry,  that  they 
wish  for  nothing  more  than  a  candid,  calm,  and  impartial  exam- 
ination of  the  subject,  according  to  all  the  lights  which  the  im- 
proved reason  and  the  enlarged  science  of  man  can  afford. 

One  great  effect  of  the  voyages  made  under  the  conduct  of 
Captain  Cook,  is  their  having  excited  a  zeal  for  similar  under- 
takings. Other  princes  and  other  nations  are  engaged  in  expe- 
ditions of  navigation  and  discovery.  By  order  of  the  French 
government,  Messrs.  de  la  Perouse  and  de  Langle  sailed  from 
Bres\  in  August  1185,  in  the  frigates  Boussole  and  Astrolabe,  on 

18 


\i     i 


i^^ 


'Ij: 


^i 


410 


EFFEOTS   OF 


an  enterprise,  the  express  purpose  of  which  was  the  improTeinent 
of  geography,  astronomy,  natural  history,  and  philosophy,  and  to 
collect  accounts  of  customs  and  manners.  For  the  more  ell'oc- 
tual  prosecution  of  the  design,  several  gentlemen  were  appointed 
to  go  out  upon  the  voyage,  who  were  known  to  excel  in  different 
departments  of  science  and  literature.  M.  Dagelet  went  as 
astronomer  ;  M.  de  la  Martiniere,  P.  Recevour,  and  M.  de  lu 
Fresne,  as  naturalists  ;  and  the  Chevalier  de  Lamanon  and  M. 
Monges,  junior,  as  natural  philosophers.  The  officers  of  the 
Boussole  were  men  of  the  best  information,  and  the  firmest  reso- 
lution :  and  the  crew  contained  a  number  of  artificers,  in  varions 
kinds  of  mechanic  employments.  Marine  watches,  and  other 
instruments,  were  provided  ;  and  M.  Dagelet  was  particularly  di- 
rected to  make  observations  with  M.  Gondamine's  invariable  pen* 
dulura,  to  determine  the  differences  in  gravity,  and  to  ascertain 
the  true  proportion  of  the  equatorial  to  the  polar  diameter  of  the 
earth.  From  some  accounts  which  have  already  been  received 
of  these  voyagers,  it  appears,  that  they  have  explored  the  coast 
of  CalifoiiiAa  ;  have  adjusted  the  situation  of  more  than  fifty 
places,  almost  wholly  unknown  ;  and  have  visited  Owyhee,  and 
the  rest  of  the  Sandwich  Islands.  When  the  expedition  shall  be 
completed,  the  whole  result  of  it  will  doubtless  be  laid  before 
the  public* 

Although  Captain  Cook  has  made  such  vast  discoveries  in  the 
Northern  Ocean,  on  and  between  the  east  of  Asia  and  the  west 
coast  of  America,  Mr.  Coxe  has  well  shown  that  there  is  still  room 
for  a  farther  investigation  of  that  part  of  the  world.  Accord- 
ingly, the  object  has  been  taken  up  by  the  Empress  of  Russia, 
who  has  committed  the  conduct  of  the  enterprise  to  Captain  Bil- 


*  An  account  of  this  voyage  during  the  years  1785, 1786, 1787, 1788,  has  been  published 
In  France,  from  pf  pera  transmitted  at  different  times  by  La  Perouse ;  but  nothing  since 
the  year  17S8  has  been  received  relative  to  the  progress  of  the  voyage,  or  the  fate  of  the 
voyagere,  who  ar»  all  supposed  to  have  perished  by  shipwreck. 


CAPTAIN   COOK  8   VOYAOR8. 


411 


lingfl,  an  Englishman  in  her  majesty's  service.  As  Captain 
Billings  was  with  Captain  Cook  in  his  last  voyage,  ho  may 
reasonably  be  supposed  to  be  properly  qualifiod  for  the  business 
he  has  undertaken.  The  design,  with  the  execution  of  which  he 
is  entrusted,  appears  to  be  very  extensive  and  important ;  and, 
if  it  should  be  crowned  with  success,  cannot  fail  of  making 
considerable  additions  to  the  knowledge  of  geography  and  navi- 
gation. 

There  is  one  event  at  home,  which  has  evidently  resulted  from 
Captain  Cook's  discoveries,  and  which,  therefore,  must  not  be 
omitted.  What  I  refer  to,  is  the  settlement  at  Botany  Bay. 
With  the  general  policy  of  this  measure,  the  present  narrative 
has  not  any  concern.  The  plan,  I  doubt  not,  has  been  adopted 
with  the  best  intentions,  after  the  maturest  deliberation,  and 
perhaps  with  consummate  wisdom.  One  evident  advantage  aris- 
ing from  it  is,  that  it  will  eflfectually  prevent  a  number  of 
unhappy  wretches  from  returning  to  their  former  scenes  of  temp- 
tation and  guilt,  and  may  open  to  them  the  means  of  industrious 
subsistence  and  moral  reformation.  If  it  be  wise  and  prudently 
begun  and  conducted,  who  can  tell  what  beneficial  consequences 
may  spring  from  it,  in  future  ages  ?  Immortal  Rome  is  said  to 
have  risen  from  the  refuse  of  mankind. 

While  we  are  considering  the  advantages  the  discoverers 
have  derived  from  the  late  navigations,  a  question  naturally  oc- 
curs, which  is,  What  benefits  have  hence  accrued  to  the  discovered  1 
It  would  be  a  source  of  the  highest  pleasnre  to  be  able  to  answer 
this  question  to  complete  satisfaction.  But  it  must  be  acknow- 
ledged, that  the  subject  is  not  wholly  free  from  doubts  and  diffi- 
culties ;  and  these  doubts  and  difficulties  might  be  enlarged  upon 
and  exaggerated,  by  an  imagination  which  is  rather  disposed  to 
contemplate  an''  represent  the  dark  than  the  luminous  aspect  of 
human  aflFairs.  In  one  respect,  Mr.  Samwcll  has  endeavoured 
to  shew,  that  the  natives  of  the  lately  explored  parts  of  the  world, 


r     I 

ll 


413 


EFFEOTS   OF 


and  CR|)CciulIy  so  far  as  relates  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  were 
nut  injured  by  our  people,  and  it  was  the  eonstant  .solicitude  and 
care  of  Captain  Couk,  that  evil  might  uot  be  communicated  in 
any  one  place  to  which  he  came.  If  he  was  universally  succes- 
ful,  the  good  which,  in  various  cases,  he  was  instrumental  in 
producing,  will  be  reflected  upon  with  the  more  peculiar  satis- 
faction. 

There   is  an  essential  difference  between  the  voyages  that 

have  lately  been  undertaken,  and  many  which  have  been  carried 
on  in  former  times.  None  of  my  readers  can  be  ignorant  of  the 
horrid  cruelties  that  were  exercised  by  the  conquerors  of  Mexico 
and  Peru  ;  cruelties  which  can  never  be  remembered  without 
blushing  for  religion  and  human  nature.  But  to  undertake  ex- 
peditions with  a  design  of  civilizing  the  world,  and  meliorating 
its  condition,  is  a  noble  object.  The  recesses  of  the  globe  were 
investigated  by  Captain  Cook,  not  to  enlarge  private  dominion, 
but  to  promote  general  knowledge  ;  the  new  tribes  of  the  earth 
were  visited  as  friends,  and  acquaintance  with  their  existence  wf\3 
Bought  for,  in  order  to  bring  them  within  the  pale  of  the  offices 
of  humanity,  and  to  relieve  the  wants  of  their  imperfect  state  of 
society.  Such  were  the  benevolent  views  which  our  navigator 
was  commissioned  by  his  majesty  to  carry  'nto  execution  ;  and 
there  is  reason  to  hope  that  they  will  uot  be  wholly  unsuccessful. 
From  the  long-continued  intercourse  with  the  natives  of  the 
Friendly,  Society,  and  Sandwich  Islands,  some  rays  of  light  must 
have  darted  on  their  infant  minds.  The  uncommon  objects 
•which  have  been  presented  to  their  observation,  and  excited 
surprise,  will  naturally  tend  to  enlarge  their  stock  of  ideas,  and  to 
furnish  new  materials  for  the  exercise  of  their  reasoning  faculties. 
It  is  no  small  addition  to  their  comforts  of  life  and  their  imme- 
diate enjoyments,  that  will  be  derived  from  the  introduction  of 
our  useful  animals  and  vegetables  ;  and  if  the  only  benefit  they 
Rhould  ever  receive  from  the  visits  of  the  English,  should  be  tho 


—  If 


CA  PTAIN  COOK  B  V0TAOK8. 


413 


having  obtained  fresh  means  of  sustenance,  that  must  be  consid- 
ered as  a  great  acquisition.  • 

But  may  not  our  hopes  be  extended  to  still  nobler  objects  ? 
The  connection  which  has  been  opened  with  those  remote  inhabi- 
tants of  the  world,  is  the  first  step  toward  their  improvement,  and 
consequences  may  flow  from  it,  which  are  far  beyond  our  present 
conceptions.     Perhaps  our  late  voyages  may  be  the  means  ap- 
pointed by  Providence,  of  spreading,  in  due  time,  the  blessings 
of  civilization  among  the  numerous  tribes  of  the  South  Pacific 
Ocean,  and   preparing   them   for  holding   an  honourable   rank 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth.     There  cannot  be  a  more  laud- 
able attempt,  than  that  of  endeavouring  to  rescue  millions  of 
our  fellow-creatures  from  that  state  of  humiliation  in  which  they 
now  exist.     Nothing  can   more  essentially  contribute   to  the 
attainment  of  this  great  end,  than  a  wise  and  rational  introdoc* 
tion  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  an  introduction  of  it  in  its  gen- 
uine simplicity  ;  as  holding  out  the  worship  of  one  God,  incul- 
cating the  purest  morality,  and  promising  eternal  life  as  the 
reward  of  obedience.     These   are  views  of  things  which   are 
adapted  to  general  comprehension,  and  calculated  to  produce  the 
noblest  effects. 

Considering  the  eminent  abilities  displayed  by  Captain  Cook, 
and  the  mighty  actions  performed  by  him,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  his  memory  should  be  held  in  the  highest  estimation,  both 
at  home  and  abroad.  Perhaps,  indeed,  greater  honour  is  paid 
to  his  name  abroad  than  at  home.  Foreigners,  I  am  informed, 
look  up  to  him  with  an  admiration  which  is  not  equalled  in  this 
country.  A  remarkable  proof  of  it  occurs  in  the  eulogy  of  our 
navigator  by  Michael  Angelo  Gianetti,  which  was  read  at  the 
royal  Florentine  academy,  on  the  9th  of  June,  1785,  and  pub- 
lished at  Florence,  in  the  same  year.  Not  having  seen  it,  I  am 
deprived  of  the  power  of  doing  justice  to  its  merit.  If  I  am  not 
mistaken  in  my  recollection,  one  of  the  French  literary  acado- 


i^ 


1; 


P. 


414 


ENCOMIUMS   UPON 


mies  has  proposed  a  prize  for  the  best  enlogium  on  Captain  Couk  ; 
and  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  several  candidates  will  ap< 
pear  upon  the  occasion,  and  exert  the  whole  force  of  their  elo- 
quence on  so  interesting  a  subject. 

To  the  applauses  of  our  navigator,  which  have  already  been 
inserted,  I  cannot  avoid  adding  some  poetical  testimonies  con- 
cerning him.  The  first  I  shall  produce  is  from  a  foreign  poet, 
M.  I'Abbd  Lisle.  This  gentleman  has  concluded  his  "  Les  Jar- 
dins  "  with  an  encomium  on  Captain  Cook,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing lines  are  a  translation.* 


"  Give,  give  me  flowers :  with  garlands  of  renowu 
Those  glorious  exiles^  brows  my  hands  shall  crown. 
Who  nobly  sought  on  distant  coasts  to  find, 
Or  thither  bore  those  arts  that  bless  mankind: 
Thee  chief,  brave  Cook,  o'er  whom,  to  nature  dear, 
With  Britain,  Gallia  drops  a  pitying  tear. 
To  foreign  climes  and  rude,  where  naught  before 
Announced  our  vessels  but  their  cannon's  roar, 
Far  other  gifts  thy  better  mind  decreed 
The  sheep,  the  heifer,  and  the  stately  steed ; 
The  plough  and  all  thy  country's  arts ;  the  crimes 
Atoning  thus  of  earlier  savage  times. 
With  peace  each  land  thy  bark  was  wont  to  hail 
And  tears  and  blessings  filled  thy  parting  sail 
Receive  a  stranger's  praise  ;  ncr  Britain,  thou 
Forbid  these  wreaths  to  grace  thy  Hero's  brow, 
Nor  scorn  the  tribute  of  a  foreign  song. 
For  Virtue's  sons  to  every  land  belong  : 
And  shall  the  Gallic  Muse  disdain  to  pay 
The  meed  of  worth,  when  Lewis  leads  the  wayf 
But  what  avail'd,  that  twice  thou  dar'dst  to  try 
The  frost-bound  sea,  and  twice  the  burning  sky. 
That  by  winds,  waves,  and  every  realm  rever'd, 
Safe,  only  saf  •.  thy  sacred  vessel  steer'd  ; 
That  war  for  thee  forgot  its  dire  commands? 
The  world's  great  friend,  ah  !  bleeds  by  savage  handi.' 


CAPTAIN   COOK. 


415 


i    "[  1 


There  have  not  been  wanting  elegant  writers  of  our  own  coun- 
try, who  have  embraced  with  pleasure  the  opportunities  that  have 
ofifered  of  paying  a  tribute  of  praise  to  Captain  Cook.  The  in- 
genious and  amiable  Miss  Hannah  Moore  has  lately  seized  an  oc- 
casion  of  celebrating  the  humane  intentions  of  the  captain's  dia- 
coveries. 

*'  Had  those  adventurous  spirits  who  explore 
Through  ocean's  trackless  was  .es,  the  far-sought  shore, 
Whether  of  wealth  insatiate,  or  of  power, 
Conquerors  who  waste,  or  ruffians  who  devour : 
Had  these  possessed,  0  Cook !  thy  gentle  m^ud, 
Thy  love  of  arts,  thy  love  of  human-kind ; 
Had  these  pursu'd  thy  mild  and  libVal  plan, 
Discoverers  had  not  been  a  curse  to  man  I 
Then,  blessM  Philanthropy  !  thy  social  hands 
Had  link'd  dissever'd  worlds  in  brothers'  bands ; 
Careless,  if  colour  or  if  clime  divide  ; 
Then  lov'd,  and  luving  man  had  liv'd  and  died." 

Soon  after  the  account  arrived  in  England  of  Captain  Cook's 
decease,  two  poems  were  published  in  celebration  of  his  memory  ; 
one  of  which  was  an  Ode,  by  a  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  of  Gray's  Inn. 
But  the  first,  both  in  order  of  time  and  of  merit,  was  an  Elegy, 
by  Miss  Seward,  whose  poetical  talents  have  been  displayed  in 
many  beautiful  instances  to  the  public.  This  lady,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  her  poem,  has  admirably  represented  the  principle 
of  humanity  by  which  the  captain  was  actuated  in  his  undertak- 
ings. 

*'  Ye,  who  erewhile  for  Cook's  illustrious  brow 
Pluck'd  the  green  laurel,  and  the  oaken  bough, 
TTnng  the  gay  garlands  on  the  trophied  op  "3, 
And  pour'd  his  fame  along  a  thousand  shores, 
Strike  the  bIow  deatli-bell ! — weave  tli«  sacred  vonw, 
And  strew  the  cypress  o'er  his  honour'd  hearse ; 
In  sad  procession  wander  round  tlie  shrine, 
And  weep  him  mortal,  whom  ye  sung  divine  t 


416 


ENCOMIUMS    UPON 


"Say  first,  what  Power  inspired  his  dauntless  breast 
With  scorn  of  danger  and  inglorious  rest, 
To  quit  imperial  London^s  gorgeous  plains  ; 
Where,  rob'd  in  thousand  tints,  bright  Pleasure  reigni^ 
What  Pow'r  inspired  his  dauntless  breast  to  brave 
The  scorch'd  Equator,  and  th'  Antarctic  wave  ? 
Climes,  where  fierce  suns  in  cloudless  ardours  shinty 
And  pour  ^he  dazzHng  deluge  round  the  Line; 
The  realms  of  frost  where  icy  mountains  rise, 
'Mid  the  pale  summer  of  the  polar  skies  ? — 
It  was  Humanity  I — on  coasts  unknown. 
The  shiv'ring  natives  of  the  frozen  zone, 
And  the  swart  Indian  as  he  faintly  strays 
•  Where  Cancer  reddens  in  the  solar  blaze,* 
She  bade  him  seek : — on  each  inclement  shore 
Plant  the  rich  seeds  of  her  exhaustless  store ; 
Unite  the  savage  hearts,  and  hostile  hands 
In  the  firm  compact  of  her  gentle  bands ; 
Strew  her  soft  comforts  o'er  th»  barren  plain. 
Sing  her  sweet  lays,  and  consecrate  her  fame. 

*'  It  was  HdmanityI  — 0  Nymph  divine! 
I  see  thy  light  step  print  the  burning  Line  t 
There  thy  bright  eye  the  dubious  pilot  guides.. 
The  faint  oar  struggling  with  the  scalding  tides^— 
On  as  thou  lead'st  the  bold,  the  glorious  prow, 
Mild,  and  more  mild,  the  sloping  sunbeams  glow ; 
Now  weak  and  pale  the  lessen'd  lustres  play, 
As  round  th'  horizon  rolls  the  timid  day  ; 
Barb'd  with  the  sleeted  ^now,  the  driving  hail, 
Rush  the  fierce  arrows  of  the  polar  gale  r 
And  through  the  dim,  unvaried,  ling'ring  hours, 
Wide  o'er  the  waves  incumbent  horror  low'rs." 


I  shall 
fiue  poen 


Captain  Cook's  endeavours  to  serve  the  inhabitants  of  Nen 
Zealand,  by  the  vegetables  and  animals  he  left  among  them,  are 
thas  described  : 


**  To  these  the  hero  leads  h's  living  store. 
And  pours  new  wonders  on  tb'  uncultur'd  shore^ 


CAPTAIN   COOK. 


417 


The  silky  flecoc,  fair  fruit,  and  golden  grain ; 
And  future  herds  and  harvests  bless  the  plain. 
0*er  the  greun  soil  his  kids  exulting  play, 
And  sounds  his  clarion  loud  the  bird  of  'lay ; 
The  downy  goose  her  ruffled  bosom  laves ; 
Trims  her  white  wing  and  v/antons  in  the  waves ; 
Stern  moves  the  bull  along  th'  affrighted  shores, 
And  countless  nations  tremble  as  he  roars." 


en 
lore 


I  shall  ouly  add  the  pathetic  and  animated  conclasioa  of  thii 
fiue  poem  : 

"  But  ah !— aloft  on  Albion*s  rocky  steep, 
That  frowns  incumbent  o'er  the  boiling  deep, 
Solicitous  and  sad  a  softer  form 
Eyes  the  lone  flood,  and  deprecates  the  storm — 
Ill-fated  matron  ! — for,  alas !  in  vain 
Thy  eager  glances  wander  o'er  the  main  !— 
'Tis  the  vexed  billows,  that  insur/;ent  rave, 
Their  white  foam  silvers  yonder  distant  wave. 
*Ti8  not  his  sails  I — thy  husband  comes  no  morel 
His  bones  now  whiten  an  accursed  shore ! — 
Retire, — for  hark  I  the  sea-gull  shrieking  soars. 
The  lurid  atmosphere  portentous  low'rs; 
Night's  sullen  spirit  groans  in  ev'ry  gale, 
And  o'er  the  waters  draws  the  darkling  veil, 
Sighs  in  thy  hair,  and  chills  thy  throbbing  breast- 
Go,  wretched  mourner ! — weep  thy  griefs  to  rest  I 

"  Yet,  though  through  life  is  lost  each  fond  delight, 
Thjugh  set  thy  earthly  sun  in  dreary  nigh*. 
Oh  !  raise  thy  thoughts  to  yonder  starry  plain, 
And  own  thy  sorrow  selfish,  weak  and  t  aiu  ; 
Since  while  Britannia,  to  his  virtues  just, 
Twines  the  brigl  t  wreath,  and  rears  the  immortal  bust 
While  on  each  wind  of  heav'n  his  fame  shall  rise, 
In  endless  incense  to  th«^  smiling  skies ; 
Thk  attendant  Power,  that  bade  his  sails  expand 
And  waft  her  blessings  to  each  barren  land, 

18* 


418  KNC0MIUM8    CPON    CAPTAIN    COOK. 

Now  raptur'd  bears  liini  to  tb*  immortal  plains, 
Where  Mercy  hails  hira  with  congenial  strains  ; 
Where  soars,  on  Joy's  white  plume,  his  spirit  free, 
And  angels  choir  him,  while  he  waits  for  tuek." 

Captaiu  Cook's  discoveries,  among  other  eflfects,  have  opened 
now  scenes  for  a  poetical  fancy  to  range  in,  and  presented  new 
images  to  the  selection  of  genius  and  taste.  The  Morais,  in  par- 
ticular, of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Soutli  Sea  Islands,  afford  a  fine 
Bubject  for  the  exercise  of  a  plaintive  Muse.  Such  a  Muse  hath 
seized  upon  the  subject  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  has  added  ano- 
ther wreath  to  the  memory  of  our  navigator.  I  refer  to  a  lady 
who  hath  already,  in  many  passages  of  her  "  Peru,"  in  her 
"  Ode  on  the  Peace,"  and  above  all,  in  her  "  Irregular  Frag- 
ment," amply  proved  to  the  world,  that  she  possesses  not  only 
the  talent  of  elegant  and  harmonious  versification,  but  the 
spirit  of  true  poetry.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  fe- 
male poets  have  hitherto  been  the  chief  celebrators  of  Cap- 
tain Cook  in  this  country.  Perhaps  a  subject  which  would 
furnish  materials  for  as  rich  a  production  as  Camoens'  Lusiad, 
and  which  would  adorn  the  pen  of  a  Hayley  or  a  Cooper,  may 
hereafter  call  forth  the  genius  of  some  poet  of  the  stronger  sex. 

The  Royal  Society  of  London  could  not  lose  such  a  member 
of  their  body  as  Captain  Cook,  without  being  anxious  to  honour 
his  name  and  memory  by  a  particular  mark  of  respect.  Accor- 
dingly, it  was  resolved  to  do  this  by  a  medal  ;  and  a  voluntary 
subscription  was  opened  for  the  purpose.  To  such  of  the  fel 
lows  of  the  society  as  subscribed  twenty  guineas,  a  gold  medal 
was  appropriated  ;  silver  medals  were  assigned  to  those  who 
contributed  a  smaller  sum  ;  and  to  each  or  the  other  members 
one  in  bronze  was  gi^en.  The  subscribers  of  twenty  guineas 
were,  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  president ;  the  Prince  of  An?pach,  the 
Duke  of  Montague,  Lord  Mulgrave,  and  Mr.  Cavendish,  Mr 
Peachy,  Mr.  Perrin,  Mr,  Poll,  and  Mr.  Shuttlewor*h.     Many  do- 


C0MMEM0KATI0N8. 


419 


signs,  as  might  be  expected,  were  proposed  on  the  occasion. 
The  medal  which  was  actually  struck,  contains  on  one  side  the 
head  of  Captain  Cook  in  profile,  and  round  it  jac.  cook  oceani 
INVESTIGATOR  ACERRiMus  ;  and  on  the  exergue,  reg.  soc.  lond. 
SOCIO  suo.  On  the  reverse  is  a  representation  of  Britannia,  hold- 
ing a  globe.  Round  her  is  inscribed,  nil  intentatum  nostri 
LivjuERE  ;  and  on  the  exergue,  auspiciis  georgii  hi. 

Of  the  gold  medals  which  were  struck  on  this  occasion,  one 
was  presented  to  His  Majesty,  another  to  the  Queen,  and  a  third 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  Two  were  sent  abroad  :  the  first  to  the 
French  king,  on  account  of  the  protection  he  had  granted  to  the 
ships  under  the  command  of  Captain  Cook  ;  and  a  second  to  the 
Empress  of  Russia,  in  whose  dominions  the  same  ships  had  been 
received  and  treated  with  every  degree  of  friendship  and  kindness. 
Both  these  presents  were  highly  acceptable  to  the  great  person- 
ages to  whom  they  were  transmitted.  The  French  king  expressed 
his  satisfaction  in  a  very  handsome  letter  to  the  Royal  Society, 
signed  by  himself,  and  undersigned  by  the  Marquis  de  Vergennes  ; 
aud  the  Empi  ''s  of  Russia  commissioned  Count  Osterman  to  sig- 
nify to  Mr.  Fitzherberl  the  sense  she  entertained  of  the  value  of 
the  present,  and  that  she  had  caused  it  to  be  forthwith  deposited 
in  the  Museum  of  the  Imperial  Academy  of  Sciences.  As  a  fur- 
ther testimony  of  the  pleasure  she  derived  from  it,  the  Empress 
presented  to  the  Royal  Society  a  large  and  beautiful  gold  medal, 
containing  on  one  side  the  eflSgies  of  herself,  and  on  the  reverse  a 
representation  of  the  statue  of  Peter  the  Great. 

After  the  general  assignment  of  the  medals,  (which  took  place 
in  the  spring  of  the  year  1*184),  there  being  a  surplus  of  money 
still  remaining,  the  president  and  council  resolved,  that  an  addi- 
tional number  should  be  struck  off  in  gold,  to  be  disposed  of  as 
presents  to  Mrs.  Cook,  the  Earl  of  Sandwich,  Dr.  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Dr  Cooke,  provost  of  King's  College,  Cambridge,  aud 
Mr.  Planta.     About  the  same  time,  it  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Aubert 


i 


i 


420 


REGARD    PAID   TO 


shoald  be  allowed  to  have  a  gold  medal  of  Captain  Cook,  on  his 
paying  for  the  gold,  and  the  expense  of  striking  it ;  in  considerac 
tion  of  his  intention  to  present  it  to  the  King  of  Poland. 

During  the  two  visits  of  the  Resolution  and  Discovery  at 
Kamtschatka,  it  was  from  Colonel  Behm,  the  commandant  of 
that  province,  that  the  ships,  and  the  officers  and  men  belonging 
to  them,  had  received  every  kind  of  assistance  which  it  was  in 
his  power  to  bestow.  His  liberal  and  hospitable  behaviour  to 
the  English  navigators,  is  related  at  larga  in  Captain  King's 
Voyage.  Such  was  the  sense  entertained  of  it  by  the  Lords  of 
the  Admiralty,  that  they  determined  to  make  a  present  to  the 
colonel  of  a  magnificent  piece  of  plate,  with  an  inscription  ex- 
pressive of  his  humane  and  generous  disposition  and  conduct. 
The  eleg£int  pen  of  Dr.  Cooke  was  employed  in  drawing  up  the 
inscription,  which,  after  it  had  been  subjected  to  the  opinion  and 
correction  of  some  gentlemen  of  the  first  eminence  in  classical 
taste,  was  as  follows  : 

"  ViRO  EGREGio  MAGNO  DE  Behm  ;  qui  Impcratricis  Augustis- 
simjB  Catheriuse  auspiciis,  summaque  animi  benignitate,  sa;va, 
quibus  praierat,  Kamtschatkae  littora,  navibus  nautisque  Britan- 
nicis,  hospita  praebut  :  eosque  in  terminis,  si  qui  essent  Imperio 
Russico,  frustra,  explorandis,  mala  multa  perpessos,  iterata  vice 
excepit,  refecit,  recreavit,  et  commeatu  omui  cumulate  auctos  di- 
misit  ;  Rei  navalis  Britannic^  Septemviri  in  aliquam  benevo- 
Icntiae  tarn  insignis  memoriam,  amicissimo,  gratissimoque  animo, 
Buo,  patriaeque  nomine,  D.  D.  D.  m.dcc.lxxxi." 


Sir  Hugh  Palliser,  who  through  life  manifested  an  invariable 
regard  and  friendship  for  Captain  Cook,  has  displayed  a  signal 
instance,  since  the  captain's  decease,  of  the  affection  and  esteem 
in  which  he  holds  his  memory.  At  his  estate  in  Buckinghamshire, 
S  -  Hugh  hath  constructed  a  small  building,  on  which  he  has 


l! 


CAPTAIN   cook's   FAMILY. 


421 


lis 

Of 


-8 


erected  a  pillar,  containing  the  fine  character  of  our  great  naTi- 
gator  that  is  giren  at  the  end  of  the  Introduction  of  the  last 
Voyage,  and  the  principal  part  of  which  has  betn  inserted  in 
the  present  work.  This  character  was  drawn  up  by  a  most 
respectable  gentleman,  who  has  long  been  at  the  head  of  the 
naval  profession,  the  honourable  admiral  Forbes,  admiral  of  the 
fleet,  and  general  of  marines  ;  to  whom  Captain  Cook  was  only 
known  by  his  eminent  merit  and  his  extraordinary  actions. 

Amidst  the  numerous  testimonials  of  regard  that  have  been  paid 
to  Captain  Cook's  merits  and  memory,  the  important  object  of 
providing  for  his  family  hath  not  been  forgotten.  Soon  after  the 
intelligence  arrived  of  his  unfortunate  decease,  this  matter  was 
taken  up  by  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  with  a  zeal  and  an 
effect,  which  the  following  authentic  document  will  fully  dis^ 
play. 

"  At  the  Court  of  St.  James,  the 
"(L.  S.)  2d  of  February,  1780. 

Preunt :  "  The  KING'S  Most  Excellent  Majesty  in  Council. 

"  Whereas  there  was  this  day  read,  at  the  Board  a  memorial 
from  the  Right  Honourable  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the 
Admiralty,  dated  the  27th  of  last  month,  in  the  words  follow- 
ing :  viz. 

" '  Having  received  an  authentic  account  of  the  death  of  that 
great  navigator  Captain  James  Cook,  who  has  had  the  honour 
of  being  employed  by  Your  Majesty,  in  three  different  voyages, 
•for  the  discovery  of  unknown  countries,  in  the  most  distant  parts 
of  the  globe  ;  we  think  it  our  duty  humbly  to  represent  to  your 
Majesty,  that  this  meritorious  officer,  after  having  received  from 
Your  Majesty's  gracious  bene "olence,  as  a  reward  for  his  public 
services  in  two  successive  circumnavigations,  a  comfortable  and 
houoarbble  retreat,  where  he  might  have  lived  many  years  to 


422 


BROABD   PAID  TO 


benefit  his  family,  he  voluutarily  relinquished  that  ease  and 
emolument  to  undertake  another  of  these  voyages  of  discovery, 
in  which  the  life  of  a  commander,  who  does  his  duty,  must 
always  be  particularly  exposed,  and  in  which,  in  the  execution 
of  that  duty,  he  fell,  leaving  his  family,  whom  his  public  spirit 
had  led  him  to  abandon,  as  a  legacy  to  his  country.  We  do, 
therefore,  humbly  propose,  that  Your  Majesty  will  be  graciously 
pleased  to  order  a  pension  of  two  hundred  pounds  a-year  to 
be  settled  on  the  widow,  and  twenty-five  pounds  a-ycai  .  pon 
each  of  the  three  sons  of  the  said  Captain  James  Cook,  and  that 
the  same  be  placed  on  the  ordinary  estimate  of  the  navy/ 

"  His  Majesty,  taking  the  said  memorial  into  his  royal  consid- 
eration, was  pleased  with  the  advice  of  His  Privy  Council,  to 
order,  as  it  is  hereby  ordered,  that  a  pension  of  two  hundred 
pounds  a-year  be  settled  on  the  widow,  and  twenty-five  pounds 
a-year  upon  each  of  the  three  sons  of  the  said  Captain  James 
Cook,  and  the  same  be  placed  on  the  ordinary  estimate  of  His 
Majesty's  navy  ;  and  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty 
are  to  give  the  necessary  directions  herein  accordingly. 

"W.  Fawkner." 


The  preceding  memorial  to  the  king  was  signed  by  the  Earl  of 
Sandwich,  Mr.  Duller,  the  Earl  of  Lisburne,  Mr.  Penton,  Lord 
Mulgrave,  and  Mr.  Mann  ;  and  the  several  officers  of  the  board 
of  admiralty  seconded  the  ardour  of  their  superiors,  by  the  speed 
and  generosity  with  which  his  majesty's  royal  grant  to  Captain 
Cook's  widow  and  children  passed,  through  the  usual  forms. 

Another  occasion  was  afterwards  seized  of  conferring  a  sub- 
stantial benefit  on  the  Captain's  family.  The  charts  and  plates, 
belonging  to  the  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  were  provided  at 
the  expense  of  government ;  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that 
a  large  profit  accrued  from  the  sale  of  the  publication.     Of  this 


CAPTAIN    COOK  8    FAMILY. 


423 


profit,  half  was  consigned  in  trust,  to  Sir  Hugh  Palliser  and  Mr. 
Stephens,  to  be  applied  to  the  use  of  Mrs.  Cook,  during  her 
natural  life,  and  afterwards  to  be  divided  between  her  children. 

Honour,  as  well  as  emolument,  hath  graciously  been  conferred 
by  his  majesty  upon  the  descendants  of  Captain  Cook.  On  the 
8d  of  September,  1785,  a  coat  of  arms  was  granted  to  the  family, 
of  which  a  description  will  be  given  below.* 

Our  navigator  had  six  children  ;  James,  Nathaniel,  Elizabeth, 
Joseph,  George,  and  Hugh.  Of  these,  Joseph  and  George  died 
soon  after  their  birth,  and  Elizabeth  in  the  fifth  year  of  her  age. 
James,  the  eldest  son,  who  was  born  at  St.  Paul's,  Shadwell,  on 
the  13th  of  October,  1763,  is  now  a  lieutenant  in  his  majesty's 
navy.  In  a  letter,  written  by  Admiral  Sir  Richard  Hughes,  in 
1785,  from  Grenada,  to  Mrs.  Cook,  he  is  spoken  of  in  terms  of 
high  approbation.  Nathaniel,  who  was  bo^u  on  the  14th  of 
becemoer,  11  b4,  at  Mile-End,  Old  Town,  was  brought  up  like- 
wise in  the  naval  service,  and  was  unfortunately  lost  on  board 
his  majesty's  ship  Thunderer,  Commodore  Walsingham,  iu  the 
hurricane  which  happened  at  Jamaica,  on  the  3d  of  October, 
1780.  He  is  said  to  have  b^en  a  most  promising  youth.  Hugh, 
the  youngest,  was  born  on  the  22d  of  May,  1776  ;  and  was  so 
called  after  the  name  of  his  father's  great  friend,  Sir  Hugh 
Palliser. 

It  hath  often  been  mentioned,  in  terms  of  no  small  regret,  that 
a  monument  hath  not  yet  been  erected  to  the  memory  of  Captain 
Cook,  in  Westminister  Abbey.     The  wish  and  the  hope  of  such 


♦  Azure,  between  the  two  polar  stars  Or,  a  sphere  on  the  plane  of  the  meridian,  north 
pole  elevated,  circles  of  latitude  for  every  ten  degrees,  and  of  longitude  for  every  fifteen, 
showing  the  Pacific  Ocean  between  sixty  and  two  hundred  and  forty  west,  bounded  on 
oi>e  side  by  America,  on  the  other  side  by  Asia  and  New  Holland,  in  memory  of  the  dis- 
coveries made  by  him  in  that  ocean,  so  very  far  beyond  all  former  navigators.  Ills 
track  therein  is  marlced  with  red  lines  And  for  crest,  on  a  wreath  of  the  colours,  ts  an 
arm  imbowed,  vested  in  the  uniform  of  a  captain  of  the  royal  navy.  Id  the  hand  is 
the  union  Jack,  on  a  staff  Proper.  The  arm  Is  encircled  by  a  wreath  of  pann  and 
laureL 


424 


BEOARD   PAID   TO   CAPTAIN   COOK  8   FAMILY. 


a  raonament  are  hinted  at  in  the  close  of  Dr.  Douglas's  Introduo- 
tion  to  the  government  edition  of  the  last  voyage  ;  and  the  same 
sentimeut  is  expressed  by  the  author  of  the  Euiogiura  at  the  end 
of  that  Introduction.  Sir  Hugh  Palliser  has  also  spoken  to  the 
like  purpose,  in  a  communication  I  received  from  him.  It  would 
certainly  redound  to  the  honour  of  the  nation,  to  order  a  magni- 
ficent memorial  of  the  abilities  and  service,  of  our  illustrious  navi- 
gator ;  on  which  account,  a  tribute  of  that  kind  may  be  regarded 
as  a  desirable  thing.  But  a  monument  in  Westminister  Abbey 
would  be  of  little  consequence  to  the  reputation  of  Captain 
Cook.  His  fame  stands  upon  a  wider  base,  and  will  survive  the 
comparatively  perishing  materials  of  brass,  or  stone,  or  marble. 
The  name  of  Cook  will  bo  held  in  honour,  and  recited  with 
applause,  so  long  as  the  records  of  human  events  shall  continue 
in  the  eorth  ;  nor  is  it  possible  to  say,  what  may  be  the  influence 
and  rewards,  which,  in  other  worlds,  shall  be  fount}  to  attend 
upon  eminent  examples  of  wisdom  and  of  virtue 


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is  a  coinpri'heiiKive  description  of  Kiit^liiiHl  and  Wales,  arraiiifrd  in  fonve- 
nlciit  I'oriii  for  tlie  tourist,  nnd  at  the  .sain  ?  time  provi<iinir  an  illnstratod 
gmdivhook  to  a  country  whiih  .Vnicricans  always  view  with  Intorfst.  There 
aro  h'w  satisfactory  works  ahont  this  land  widcit  is  so  Kcnnroiisly  gifted  hy 
Nature  and  so  full  of  tni-nioriais  of  the  paNt.  Such  hooks  iw  there'nre,  wither 
covor  a  fi^w  counties  or  ari'  di'votcd  to  Rpccial  JociiHties,  or  are  merely  LMiide- 
hooks.  The  present  work  's  bt'lifv<d  to  he  the  first  attoinpt  to  jjive  in  attrac- 
tive form  a  uctcription  of  the  stately  lioines,  renowneil  castles,  ivy-clad  ruins 
of  al)h''ys,  churi'lim,  and  ancient  fortr*'SHt's,  dfllcions  scenery,  rock-hound 
coasts,  and  colel»r.itel  places  of  Kncland  and  Wales.  It  is  written  hy  an 
tuthor  fully  compftent  from  travel  and  rendinc,  and  in  position  to  properly 
describe  his  very  interestinu'  suliioct;  and  the  artist's  pencil  has  been  called 
Into  requisition  to  (jraptitcally  illustrate  its  well-written  paijes.  There  are 
487  illustrationa,  pri'paied  in  the  highest  style  of  the  engrav-r's  art,  while 
Ihe  book  Itaelf  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  ever  presented  to  the  Aniericaa 
public. 

Its  mi^thod  of  construction  is  systematie,  followini;  the  most  convenient 
ro'ites  taken  by  tourists,  and  the  lettei-press  ii'dudes  enough  of  the  history 
and  legend  of  each  of  the  places  deseribf'd  to  make  tim  .story  highly  inter- 
esting. Its  pages  fairly  overflow  with  i>ii'ture  and  <lescription,  telling  of 
eyerytbing  attractive  that  is  presented  by  ICnglainl  and  Wale'.  Kxecut.'d 
In  the  highest  style  of  the  printer's  and  engraver's  art,  "  Kngland,  I'iclun 
esque  and  Descriptire,"  in  one  of  the  beet  Amuricau  books  of  the  year. 


t 

I 


PORTER  A  COATES    PUBLICATIONS. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR  IN  AMERICA.  By  the  Comtb 
De  Paris.  With  Maps  faithfully  Engraved  from  the  Origin- 
als, and  I'rintcd  in  Three  Colors.  8vo.  Chtth,  per  volume, 
$3.50;  red  cloth,  extra,  Koxhurgh  style,  uncut  edges,  $S.50; 
Bheep,  lil)rary  style,  $4.50;  half  Turkey  morocco,  $0.00.  Voli 
I,  H,  aud  III  now  ready. 

I'he  third  vohirao  embraces,  without  abridgment,  the  flfih  and  sixth 
volumes  of  the  French  edition,  and  covera  one  of  the  most  interesting  a« 
well  as  the  most  anxious  periods  of  the  war,  describing  tho  operations  cf  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  iu  the  East,  and  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and 
Tennessee  In  the  West. 

It  contains  full  accounts  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  the  attack  of  the 
monitors  on  Fort  Sumter,  the  sicsrsand  fall  of  Vicksburg  and  Po«t  Hudson; 
tlio  battles  of  Port  Gibson  and  Champion's  Hill,  and  the  fullest  and  most 
authuutic  account  of  the  battle  of  Ueitysburg  ever  written. 

"The  head  of  the  Orleans  family  has  put  pen  to  paper  with  excellent 

result Our  present  impression  is  that  it  will  form  by  far  the  best 

iiiotory  of  the  Americaa  WLT."—Alhen(Buin,  London. 

"We  advise  a!!  Americans  to  read  it  carefully,  and  judge  for  themselves 
if  'tlie  luture  historian  of  our  war,'  of  whom  we  have  heard  so  much,  be  not 
already  arrivid  iu  the  Comte  do  Paris." — Nation,  New  York. 

"This  Is  Incomparably  the  best  account  of  our  great  second  revolution 
that  has  yet  been  even  altoiftpted.  It  is  so  calm,  so  dispassionate,  so  accurate 
iiidetail,and  at  the  same  time  so  philosophical  in  general,  that  its  readei 
counts  contidently  on  finding  the  complete  work  thoroughly  satisfactory." — 
Evening  Jiulktin,  Philadelphia. 

"The  work  expresses  the  eixlm,  deliberate  Judgment  of  an  experienced 
military  observer  aud  a  bi;;hly  intelligent  man.  Many  of  its  statements 
willex'-'ite  discussion,  >iut  we  much  mistake  if  it  does  not  take  high  and 

fermaneut  ranK  among  the  standard  histories  of  the  civil  war.    Indeed 
hat  place  has  Ixmm  asslirned  it   by  the  most  competent  critics  bo'.h  of  this 
country  and  abroad." — Times,  Cutcinnati. 

"Messrs.  Porter  &  Coates,  of  Philadelphia,  will  publish  in  a  few  days  the 
authorizeil  trauslation  of  tlio  lu-w  volume  of  the  Comte  do  Paris'  History  of 
Our  Civil  War.  The  two  volumes  in  French — the  fifth  and  sixth — are  bound 
together  in  the  translation  In  one  volume.  Our  readers  already  know, 
through  a  table  of  contents  of  these  volumes,  published  in  the  cable  columns 
of  the  Herald,  tho  period  covered  by  this  new  installment  of  a  work  remark- 
able in  several  ways.  It  includes  the  most  important  and  decisive  period  of 
the  war,  and  the  two  great  campaigns  of  Gettysburg  and  Vieksburg. 

"The  great  civil  war  has  had  no  better,  no  atder  historian  than  the  French 
prince  who,  emulating  the  example  of  Lafayette,  took  part  in  this  new 
struggle  for  freedom,  and  who  now  writes  of  events,  in  many  of  which  he 
participated,  as  an  accomplished  officer,  and  one  who,  by  his  independent 
position,  his  hi^h  character  and  eminen*^  talents,  was  placed  in  circum* 
■tances  and  relations  which  gave  him  almost  unequalled  opportunities  to 
gain  correct  iuforination  and  form  impartial  judgments. 

"The  n<'W  iiistallnienl  of  a  work  which  has  already  become  a  classic  will 
be  read  with  incnased  interest  hy  Americans  because  of  the  importance  of 
theperioti  it  covers  and  the  stirring  events  it  de8cril)es.  In  advance  of  a 
careful  review  we  present  to-dHysome  extracts  from  the  advance  sheets  sent 
us  by  Messrs.  Porter  &  <\)ates,  whieh  will  give  our  reidors  a  foretaste  of 
chapters  wliieh  bring  liiuk  to  memory  so  many  half-forgotten  and  not  a  few 
hitherto  uiivuliied  details  of  a  tine  whieh  Americans  of  this  generation  at 
Wast  cannot  read  of  without  u  fresh  thrill  of  excitement," 


PORTER  &  C0ATE3'  PUBLICATIONS. 


■r*!' 


HALF-HOURS  WITH  THE  BEST  AUTHORS.  With  short  Bi. 
ographical  siml  Critical  Noti-s.     By  Charlks  Knu;ht. 

New  Household  Edition.  Witli  six  ))ortraits  on  st«ud.  3  vols., 
thick  r2mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  jjold,  per  set,  $1.50;  half  imt. 
Russia,  marbled  edges,  $().bO;  iiaif  caii',  ttilt,  marbled  ed^es,  $12.00. 

Library  Edition.  Printed  on  line  laid  and  tinted  paper.  With 
twenty-four  portraits  on  steel.  6  vols.,  l:i!!)o.  Clotli,  extra,  pet 
set,  $7.50;  half  calf  gilt,  marbled  edges,  per  set,  $18.00;  half  Rus- 
sia, gilt  top,  $21.00;  full  Freucli  morocco,  limp,  per  set,  $12.00; 
full  smooth  Russia,  limp,  round  "orners,  in  Russia  case,  per  3»jt, 
$25.00;  full  ser/i  grained  Russia,  limp,  round  corners,  in  Kussia 
case  to  match,  $25.00. 

The  excellen*,  idea  of  the  editor  of  th^se  choice  volumes  has  been  most 
admirably  carried  out,  as  will  be  seen  hy  the  list  of  authors  u|K>n  aii  sub- 
jects. S'l' cling  some  choice  passages  of  Hie  best  standard  authorN,  each  of  suffi- 
cient length  to  occupy^  half  an  hour  in  its  perusal,  there  is  here  food  for 
thought  for  every  day  m  the  year;  so  tliat  if  the  purohasi^r  will  devote  but 
one-h;ilf  hour  each  day  to  its  appropriate  selection  he  will  read  through 
these  six  volumes  in  one  year,  and  in  such  a  leisurely  manner  that  the 
noblest  thoughts  of  many  of  the  greatest  minds  will  be  firmly  in  hia  mind 
forever.  For  every  Sunday  there  is  a  suitable  selection  from  some  of  the 
most  eminent  writers  In  sacred  literature.  We  venture  to  say  if  the  editor's 
idea  is  carried  out  the  reader  will  posses'^  more  and  bi.'tter  knowledge  of  the 
English  cla!)sics  at  the  end  of  the  year  than  be  would  by  five  years  of  desul- 
tory reading. 

They  can  be  commenced  at  any  day  in  the  year.  The  variety  of  reading 
is  so  great  that  no  one  will  ever  tire  of  these  volumes.  It  is  a  library  in 
itself. 

THE  POETRY  OF  OTHER  LANDS.  A  Collection  of  Transla- 
tions  into  English  Verse  of  the  Poetry  of  Other  Languages, 
Ancient  and  Modern.  Compiled  by  N.  Clemmovs  Hunt. 
Containing  translations  from  the  Greek,  Latin,  Persian,  Ara- 
bian, Japanese,  Turkish,  Servian,  Russian,  Boliemian,  Polish, 
Dutch,  German,  Italian,  French,  Spanish,  and  PortugU(\so 
lan.'iuages.  12mo.  Cloth,  exira,  gilt  edges,  $2.50;  half  calf,  gilt, 
marbled  edges,  $4.00 ;  Turkey  morocco,  gilt  edges,  $().00. 

"  Another  of  the  publications  of  Porter  <*  Coates,  called  'The  Poetry  of 
Other  Lands,'  compiled  by  N,  Clnminons  Hunt,  we  most  warmly  commend. 
It  is  one  of  the  b^st  collections  we  have  aeen,  containing  many  exquisite 
poems  and  fragments  of  verse  which  havo  not  b"fore  b^en  put  into  book 
form  in  English  words.  Wo  find  many  ot  the  old  favorites,  which  appear 
in  every  we/1-selected  collection  of  sonnets  and  sougs,  and  we  miss  others, 
which  seen  a  necessity  to  compl-te  the  bouquet  of  grasses,  and  flowery 
Bome  of  vrtiich,  from  time  to  time,  we  hope  to  republish  in  the  'Courier.  '"-• 
Cincinv(Ui  Courier. 

"A  boolt  of  rare  exccll  "nee,  because  it  gives  a  collection  of  choice  gem.s  in 
many  languages  not  availaltle  to  the  general  lover  of  poetry.  Itc<mtains 
translations  from  the  Gn'ck,  Latin,  Persian,  Arabian,  Japanese,  Turkish, 
Servian,  Russian,  Bolu'miaii,  Poiish,  Dutch,  German,  Italian,  French, 
Spanish,  and  Portvigueso  languagi's.  The  book  will  be  an  admirable  coia- 
paiiion  volume  to  any  one  of  the  collections  of  English  poetry  that  are  now 

fmbiished.  With  the  full  index  of  authors  iiiimcdiat-^ly  precediiig  the  col- 
ection,  and  the  arraiigement  of  the  poems  under  headings,  the  reader  will 
find  it  convenient  for  reference.  Tt  is  a  gift  that  will  li'  nion!  valued  by 
very  many  than  some  of  the  transit  >ry  ouos  at  theso  holiday  times.''— 
Philadelphia  Methodist. 


PORTER  &  COATES'   PUBLICATIONS. 


THE  FIRESIDE  ENCYCLOPAEDIA  OF  POETRY.  Edited  by 
Henry  T.  Coatks.  This  is  tlic  luttst,  and  b.-yond  doubt  tha 
best  collection  of  poetry  published.  Printed  tin  fine  ptiper  and 
illustrated  with  thirteen  steel  engraviuM  a.id  fifteen  titld 
page.s,  containint;  portraits  of  prominent  American  poets  and 
fac-similesof  their  handwriting,  made  expressly  for  this  book, 
8vo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  gilt  edges,  $.').00;  half  cal^ 
gilt,  marbled  edges,  .$7.50;  half  morocco,  full  gilt  edges,  $7.50; 
full  Turkey  morocco,'  gilt  edges,  $1 0.00;  tree  calf,  gilt  edges, 
$12.00;  plush,  padded  side,  nickel  lettering,  $11.00. 

"The  editor  shows  a  wide  acqnaintniine  with  the  most  prccioug  treasiirps 
of  English  verai',  and  has  gatheitd  tiie  most  admiral)l(' s|i(eiinei)s of  their 
ample  wnalth.  Many  [lieces  whirh  have  bt'en  pnssi-d  hy  in -.irevioiis  coMec- 
tions  holi<  a  place  of  hoiior  in  the  pr.'sent  vohmu»  and  will  be  hcariily  wel- 
comed by  the  lovers  of  poetry  as  a  delightful  aifdition  to  their  sonrces  of 
eujoyment.  It  is  a  volume  .-io!i  ia  solace,  in  entertainment,  in  iii8|)irstion, 
of  which  the  possession  m^j  well  bo  coveteo  by  every  lover  of  poetry.  The 
p''^torial  illustrations  of  Cue  work  are  in  keeping  witn  Its  poetical  contents, 
t    1  the  beauty  of  the  typogranhical  execution  eniiths  it  to  a  place  among 

e  choicest  ornaments  of  the  library ." — S'ew  York  Tribune. 

"Lovers  of  good  jmetry  will  fivu  fhls  one  of  the  richest  collections  ever 
jfiade.    All  the  best  singers  in  o^r  lanKuage  are  r<  presented,  and  the  selec- 

fions  are  generally  those  whic  »  reveal  their  bif;Iiest  qualities The 

lights  and  shades,  the  finer  ploT;  of  thought  and  imagination  t)e1onging  to 
individual  authors,  are  brought  out  in  this  way  (by  the  arrangement  of 
poems  under  sulvject-headings)  as  they  would  not  be  under  any  other  sys- 
tem  Wo  are  deeply  impressed  with  the  keen  ap|>reciation  of  poetical 

worth,  and  aUo  with  the  good  taste  manifested  by  the  compiler." — Church- 
man. 

"Cyclopeedias of  poetry  are  numerous,  but  forsterlinc  value  of  its  contents 
for  the  library,  or  as  a  l..)ok  of  reference,  no  work  of  tli  kind  will  compare 
with  this  adtnirablo  voluiue  of  M"*.  Coates  It  takes  the  gems  from  many 
volumes,  culling  with  rare  skid  aud  judgment." — Chicago  IrUer-Ocenn. 

THE  CHILDREN'S  BOOK  OF  POETRY.    Compiled  by  Henry 
T.  Coaxes.      Containing  over  500  poems  carefully  selected 
from  the  works  of  the  i)est  and  most  popular  writers  for  chil- 
drsju;  with  nearly  200  illustrations.     The  most  complete  col- 
lection of  poetry  for  children  ever  published.    4to.     Cloth, 
extra,  black  and  gold,  gilt  side  and  edges,  $3.00;  full  Turkey 
morocco,  gilt  edges,  $7.50. 
"This  seems  to  us  the  best  hook  of  poetry  for  children  in  existence.    We 
have  examined  n;any  other  collections,  but  we  cannot  name  another  that 
deserves  to  be  compared  with  this  admirable  compilation." — Worcester  Spy. 
"The  special  value  of  tho  book  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  nearly  or  quite 
covers  the  entire  field.    There  is  not  a  great  deal  of  good  poetry  which  ha* 
been  written  for  children  that  cannot  be  found  in  this  hook.  The  collection 
is  particularly  strong  in  ballads  and  tales,  which  are  apt  to  interest  children 
more  than  po  ■in.-  of  other  kinds;  and  Mr.  Coates  ha«i  shown  good  judgment 
in  ouppiemeuilog  this  department  with  some  of  the  best  poems  of  »hatclasB 
that  havt".  ?rren  «vritten  for  erown  people.    A  surer  method  of  forming  the 
taste  of  child 'en  iV>r  good  and  pure  literature  than  by  nading  to  them  from 
»ny  portion  tf  this  book  can  hardly  be  imagined.     The  volume  is  richly 
illustrated  an!  bo-.utifully  bound." — Philadel/ihia  Evening  Bulletin. 

"A  more  excellent  volume  cannot  he  found.  We  have  found  within  the 
covers  of  jliis  handsome  voluiuf,  aud  upon  its  fair  pages,  many  of  the  most 
exqui«ite  poems  which  our  language  contains.  It  must  become  a  standard 
Volume,  aud  can  uevur  ifrow  old  or  obsolete." — Epitcopal  Recorder. 


PORTER  &  COATES     PITBLICATIONS. 


THE  COMPLETE  WORKS  OF  THOS.  HOOD.  With  engravings 

on  steel.    4  vols.,  rjnio.,  tinted  papi-r.     Poetic<il  Works ;   Up 

the  RH'.ne;    Miscellanies  and  Hood's  Own;    Whimsicalities, 

Whiwi'.,  and  Oddities.    Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  $6.00; 

red  cloth,  pa»»er  label,  gilt  top,  uncut  edges,  $6.00;    half  calf. 

gilt,  marbled  edges,  $14.00;  h-vlf  Russia,  gilt  top,  $18.00. 

Hood's  verse,  whether  serious  or  roiiiic— whether  Hereiie  like  a  cloudleai 

autumn  evening  or  sparkling  with   puti.i  like  a  frostv  January  midnight 

with  Rtars — was  ever  pregnant  with  niatc'rials  fur  the  thought.    Like  every 

author  distinguished  for  true  comic  humor,  there  was  a  deep  vein  of  melan- 

choly  pathos  running  through  his  mirth,  and  even  when  his  sun  shone 

brightly  its  light  seemed  often  reflected  as  if  only  over  the  rim  of  a  cloud. 

Well  may  we  say,  in  the  words  of  Tennyson,  "Would  he  could  have 
stayed  with  us."  for  never  could  it  be  more  truly  recorded  of  any  one — in 
the  words  of  Hamlet  characterizing  Yorick--that  "he  was  a  follow  of  in- 
finite jest,  of  most  excellent  fancy.''  D.  M.  Moir. 

THE  ILIAD  OF  HOMER  RENDERED  INTO  ENGLISH 
BLANK  VERSE.  By  Edwahd,  Earl  op  Derby.  From 
the  latest  London  edition,  with  all  the  author's  last  revisions 
and  corrections,  and  with  a  Biographical  Sketch  of  Lord 
Derby,  by  R.  Shkltox  Mackenzie,  D.C.L.  With  twelve 
steel  engravings  from  Flaxman's  celebrated  designs.  2  vols., 
12mo.  Cloth,  extra,  bev.  board3,  gilt  top,  $3.50;  half  calf,  gilt, 
marbled  edges.  $7.00;  half  Turkey  morocco,  gilt  top,  $7.00. 

The  same.  Popular  edition.  Two". ^'  "'lone.  12mo.  Cloth, 
extra,  $1.50. 

"  It  must  equally  ho  considered  a  splendid  performance;  and  for  the  pres- 
ent we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  it  is  by  far  the  best  representation 
of  Homer's  Hiad  in  tht*  English  language," — London  Times. 

"The  merits  of  Lor<'.  Derby's  translation  may  be  summed  up  in  one  word, 
U  is  eminenJly  attractive;  it  is  instinct  with  life;  it  may  be  read  with  fervent 
interest;  it  is  immeasurably  nearer  than  Pope  to  the  text  of  the  original.  . 
.  .  .  Lord  Derby  has  given  a  version  far  more  closely  alli<'d  to  the  original, 
and  superior  to  any  that  has  yet  been  attempted  in  the  blank  verse  of  our 
language." — Edinburg  Review. 

THE  WORKS  OF  FLAVIUS  JOSEPHUS.  Comprising  the  Anti- 
quities of  the  Jews;  a  History  of  the  Jewish  Wars,  and  a  Lifo 
of  Flavins  Jos>ephus,  written  by  himsilf.  Translated  from  tho 
original  Greek,  by  William  Wihstox,  A.M.  Together  with 
numerous  explanatory  Notes  and  seven  Dissertations  concern- 
ing Jesus  Christ,  John  the  Baptist,  James  the  Just,  God's  com- 
mand to  Abraham,  etc.,  with  an  Introductory  Essay  by  Rev. 
H.  Sterbino,  D.D.  8vo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  plain 
edges, $3.00;  cloth,  red.  l)lapk  and  gold,  gilt  edges,  .$4.50;  sheeft 
marbled  edges,  .$3.50;  Turkey  morocco,  gilt  edges,  $8.00. 
This  is  the  largest  type  one  volume  edition  published. 

THE  ANCIENT  HISTORY  OF  THE  EGYPTIANS,  CARTHA- 
GINIANS,  ASSYRIANS,  BABYLONIAXS,  MEDBS  AND 
PERSIANS,  (tKECIAXS  AND  MACEDONIANS.  Including 
a  History  of  the  Arts  and  Sciences  of  tlie  Ancients.  By 
Charles"  Rollin.  With  a  Life  of  the  Author,  by  James 
Bell.    2  vols.,  royal  8vo.    Sheep,  marbled  edges,  per  set,  $(J.*S 


-I 


PORTER  &  COATES    PUBLICATIONS. 


COOKERY  FROM  P]XPERIENCE.  A  Practical  Guide  for Houae- 
keepers  in  tlie  Preparation  of  Every-day  Meals,  containing 
more  than  One  Thousand  Domestic  Recipes,  mostly  tested  by 
Personal  Experience,  with  SuKKcstions  for  Meals,  Lists  of 
Meats  and  Vegetables  in  Season,  etc.  IJy  Mrs.  Saea  T.  PauIm 
12mo.  Cloth,  extra,  l)lack  and  gold,  $1.50. 
Interleaved  Edition.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  $1.75. 

THE  COMPARATIVE  EDITION  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 
Both  Vtsrsions  in  One  Book. 

The  proof  readings  of  our  Comparative  Edition  have  been  eono 
over  by  so  many  competent  proof  readers,  that  we  believe  the  text 
is  a))solutely  correct. 

Large  12mo.,  700  pp.  Cloth,  extra,  plain  edges,  $1.50;  cloth, 
extra,  bevelled  boards  and  carmine  edgc8,$1.75;  imitation  panelled 
calf,  yellow  edges,  $2.00;  arabesc|uc,  gilt  edges,  $2.50;  French  mo- 
rocco, limp,  gilt  edges,  $4.00;  Turkey  morocco,  limp,  gilt  edges, 
$().00. 

The  Comparative  New  Testament  has  been  published  by  Porter  &  Coates. 
In  parallel  columns  on  each  page  are  givtn  the  old  and  new  versions  of  the 
Testament,  divided  also  as  far  as  practicable  into  comparative  verses,  so  that 
it  is  almost  im])(>ssil)le  for  the  slitubtest  new  word  to  escape  the  notice  of 
either  the  ordinary  reader  or  the  analytical  student.  It  is  decidedly  the 
best  edition  yet  published  of  the  most  interest-exciting  literary  production 
of  the  day.  No  more  convenient  foim  for  comparison  could  be  devised 
either  for  economizing  time  or  labor.  Another  feature  is  the  foot-notes, 
and  there  is  also  given  in  an  appendix  the  various  words  and  expressions 
preferred  by  the  American  members  of  the  Revising  CommisBion.  The 
work  is  handsomely  printed  on  excellent  paper  with  clear,  legible  type.  It 
contains  nearly  700  pages. 

THE  COUNT  OF  MONTE  CRISTO.  By  Alexandre  Dumas. 
Complete  in  one  volume,  with  two  illustrations  by  George  G. 
White.     12mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  $1.25. 

THE  THREE  GUARDSMEN.  By  Alexandre  Dumas.  Com- 
plete in  one  volume,  with  two  illustrations  by  George  G. 
White.    12mo.    Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  $1.25. 

There  is  a  magic  influence  in  his  pen,  a  magnetic  attraction  in  hisdescrip- 
tlons,  a  fertility  in  his  literary  resources  which  are  characteristic  of  Dumai 
alone,  and  tlie  seal  of  the  master  of  light  literature  is  set  upon  all  his  works. 
Even  when  not  strictly  historical,  his  romances  give  an  insight  into  the 
hahits  and  modes  of  thought  and  action  of  the  people  of  the  time  described, 
which  are  not  offered  in  any  other  author's  productions. 

TFE  LAST  DAYS  OF  POMPEII.  By  Sir  Edward  Bulweb 
Lytton,  Bart.  Illustrated.  12nio.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and 
gold,  $1.00.    Alta  edition,  one  illustration,  75  eta. 

JANE  EYRE.  By  Charlotte  Bronte  (Currer  Bell).  New  Li- 
brary Edition.  With  five  illustrations  by  E.  M.  Wimperis. 
12mo.    Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  $1.00. 

BHIRLEY.  By  Charlotte  Bronte  (Currer  Boll).  New  Library 
Edition.  Witli  five  illustrations  by  K.  M.  WiMPEEls.  12mo. 
Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold,  $1.00. 


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